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posted on:
7/13/2012 9:32:47 AM EST
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A Brief Introduction to Formaldehyde
formaldehyde, gas, indoor environment, pollutants, indoor air quality, iaq, solutions
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Given all of our discussions, in past blogs, on chemical sensitivities, I thought that I would take a moment, in this and a few future blogs, to introduce you to some of the common pollutants associated with the indoor environment.
Formaldehyde is a colourless gas, flammable and highly reactive at room temperature. It is ubiquitously found in the environment, because it is formed primarily by numerous natural sources and anthropogenic activities. However, formaldehyde is also extensively produced industrially worldwide for use in the manufacture of resins, as a disinfectant and fixative, or as a preservative in consumer products.
Indoor sources may be combustion processes such as smoking, heating, cooking, or candle or incense burning. However, major sources in non-smoking environments appear to be building materials and consumer products that emit formaldehyde. This applies to new materials and products but can last several months, particularly in conditions with high relative humidity and high indoor temperatures.
Formaldehyde sources in indoor environments include: furniture and wooden products containing formaldehyde-based resins such as particleboard, plywood and medium-density fibreboard; insulating materials (in the early 1980s, urea formaldehyde foam insulation was a major source of indoor pollution); textiles; do-it-yourself products such as paints, wallpapers, glues, adhesives, varnishes and lacquers; household cleaning products such as detergents, disinfectants, softeners, carpet cleaners and shoe products; cosmetics such as liquid soaps, shampoos, nail varnishes and nail hardeners; electronic equipment, including computers and photocopiers; and other consumer items such as insecticides and paper products.
Exposure to formaldehyde can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty breathing in some persons at elevations above 0.1 parts per million. Higher concentrations may trigger asthma attacks, chemical sensitivity, and has been shown to cause cancer.
Testing is available to determine if concentrations of formaldehyde are elevated, dangerous, or otherwise abnormal. For more information on these testing methods contact SOLUTIONS Indoor Environmental Consulting at consultants@solutionsiec.com or toll-free (877) 624-7185 ext 1. And, to learn more about SOLUTIONS Indoor Environmental Consulting, visit us online at www.solutionsiec.com
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 | | I am glad you found some value in it, Xavier. May God bless! |
| | |  | | Never knew I knew so little about a topic till now that I read your blog about Formaldehyde :) thanks for the info... |
| | | | | Thank you, Bruce and Sally. Much like my "Mold of the Day" series ( www.ibosocial.com/solutionsiec/blog.aspx?blogid=110283 ) I may put together a short-list of some of the gaseous pollutants in indoor environments, like formaldehyde. Is there one that you would like to see in a blog? Let me know and I'll work on it. |
| | |  | | | | | | When you look at all of the building materials and content items that emit this one gas (considering for a moment that there are many more), you get a clearer picture of what Dr. Campbell was saying in this video on mycotoxin exposure and why things are so much worse today than in the past: www.ibosocial.com/solutionsiec/videos.aspx?videoid=22308 |
| | |  | | Formaldehyde is some nasty stuff! |
| | | | | Ironically, although one of the commonly complained about airborne contaminants, the EPA's standardized canister sampling does not include it in its program. So, if you're concerned about formaldehyde on your IAQ audit, make sure to have that added to the sampling procedure or it may be over-looked. Or call SOLUTIONS and we will help you with this pollutant. |
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