In the chemistry lab, formaldehyde is a VOC, or volatile organic compound, meaning that it becomes a gas at room temperature. This gas – present in a wide variety of items that you use every day – is suspected of triggering a number of health problems, from mild sensitivities to cancer.
Formaldehyde is in products all around you: building materials, household goods, office supplies, and toiletries. It is most concentrated in pressed-wood products (including particleboard, hardwood plywood, and fiberboard), which are used to make furniture, kitchen cabinets, wall paneling, and shelving. Levels have been greatly reduced in the past 20 years, but they are still a concern.
An ingredient in coatings and preservatives, formaldehyde is found in many paints and some adhesives for floor tiles and carpets. It is also chemically released by compounds used to treat certain fabrics, especially wrinkle-free types. Deodorants, shampoos, nail hardeners, and other cosmetics contain formaldehyde in lesser amounts.
You can’t see formaldehyde, but when it permeates the air – sometimes with a pungent odor – it can cause fatigue, headache, nausea, rashes, sniffling, coughing, wheezing, and burning in the nose, eyes, and throat. At elevated levels, it can also bring on chest tightness and breathing difficulties. Emissions increase as temperature and humidity rise. Although the emissions generally drop significantly within about six months, a product may release low levels of the gas for years.
To minimize formaldehyde in your home, follow these seven simple tips:
1) Paint paneled walls with new interior paints designed to absorb formaldehyde emissions.
2) When choosing building materials, look for fiberboard and particleboard that contain no formaldehyde, such as those made from wheat.
3) Purchase furniture made of solid wood instead of pressed wood when feasible.
4) If you have pressed-wood furniture, coat all exposed surfaces with varnish or polyurethane. Make certain the sealant itself does not contain formaldehyde. Or seal the edges of pressed wood with aluminum tape.
5) Keep your house well ventilated (ideally, use a mechanical ventilation system). Maintain a cool temperature and low humidity.
6) If you have urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, check for moisture. Have a specialist remove wet or deteriorating foam.
7) Wash permanent-press sheets and clothing before using them. Better still, avoid permanent-press fabrics altogether, along with those labeled "shrinkproof" or "water-repellent."
Many people are hypersensitive to formaldehyde, and even those who aren’t may develop health problems from continuous exposure to it. Children are especially likely to suffer ill effects. Studies have shown the gas to cause nasal tumors in rats. Although its effect on humans is not yet certain, it may increase the risk of several forms of cancer.
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