5 Ways To Prevent Dangerous Formaldehyde Exposure

26 Aug.,2024

 

5 Ways To Prevent Dangerous Formaldehyde Exposure

Modern conveniences can sometimes have hidden dangers. Most people don&#;t realize that formaldehyde is in everything, from fertilizer to furniture. They also don&#;t know that it may have a connection to cancer and reproductive issues.

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While a single exposure isn&#;t much to worry about, it can be difficult to tell how many things in your home contain formaldehyde. Learn five ways to prevent dangerous formaldehyde exposure.

Watch Where You Place Fertilizer

Formaldehyde is a common ingredient in many types of fertilizer because it helps nitrogen dissolve slowly into the soil. Making the nitrogen last longer means your plants benefit longer from the nutrients in the fertilizer. Unfortunately, fertilizer can produce offgas, including harmful formaldehyde fumes. You can mitigate this threat by never keeping fertilizer inside your home.

Check Your Building Materials

Thinking of re-staining your cabinets or applying a new finish to your countertops? Just be careful about the brands of stains and resins you use. Some of these products include formaldehyde. As we stated before, formaldehyde produces offgas, which can linger in the air inside your home.

Give Up Smoking

Formaldehyde exposure certainly isn&#;t the worst consequence of smoking, but it&#;s one of them. In addition to getting cancer or permanent respiratory problems, smoking cigarettes can expose you to formaldehyde. Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to prevent dangerous formaldehyde exposure. Talk to your doctor about the most effective ways to quit.

Never Fear the Iron

Permanent press fabric is a popular choice today, especially for clothes that people traditionally had to iron, like button-up shirts. Now, you can buy clothes that never wrinkle or lose their shape, thanks to resins used in clothing production. Some of these resins contain formaldehyde. We know we&#;re starting to sound like a broken record, but we cannot overstress the dangers of formaldehyde offgas. When you wear permanent press fabric, you bring formaldehyde offgas everywhere you go.

Use a Gas Detector

If you&#;re really worried about formaldehyde exposure, then you need to get a gas detector. Plenty of manufacturers make formaldehyde monitoring equipment, and you can find it here at TG Technical Services. We offer all kinds of safety equipment, including gas monitors and HAZMAT suits. Let us help you keep your home and workplace safe.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of formaldehyde plant. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Formaldehyde - Cancer-Causing Substances - NCI

Formaldehyde is commonly used as a preservative.

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling, flammable chemical that is produced industrially and used in building materials such as particleboard, plywood, and other pressed-wood products. In addition, it is commonly used as a fungicide, germicide, and disinfectant, and as a preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories. Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in the environment. It is produced during the decay of plant material in the soil and during normal chemical processes in most living organisms. It is also a combustion product found in tobacco smoke.

How are people exposed to formaldehyde?

People are exposed primarily by inhaling formaldehyde gas or vapor from the air or by absorbing liquids containing formaldehyde through the skin. Workers who produce formaldehyde or products that contain formaldehyde&#;as well as laboratory technicians, certain health care professionals, and mortuary employees&#;may be exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde than people in the general population.

The general public may be exposed to formaldehyde by breathing contaminated air from sources such as pressed-wood products, tobacco smoke, and automobile tailpipe emissions. Another potential source of exposure to formaldehyde is the use of unvented fuel-burning appliances, such as gas stoves, wood-burning stoves, and kerosene heaters.

Which cancers are associated with exposure to formaldehyde?

Studies of workers exposed to high levels of formaldehyde, such as industrial workers and embalmers, have found that formaldehyde causes myeloid leukemia and rare cancers, including cancers of the paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, and nasopharynx.

How can exposures be reduced?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends the use of &#;exterior-grade&#; pressed-wood products to limit formaldehyde exposure in the home. Formaldehyde levels in homes and work settings can also be reduced by ensuring adequate ventilation, moderate temperatures, and reduced humidity levels through the use of air conditioners and dehumidifiers.

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Selected References:

  • National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Formaldehyde, Workplace Safety and Health Topics. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available online. Last accessed August 6, .
  • National Toxicology Program. Formaldehyde, Report on Carcinogens, Fifteenth Edition. Triangle Park, NC: National Institute of Environmental Health and Safety, . Also available online. Last accessed December 5, .
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, . Available online. Last accessed February 14, .