Formaldehyde

 What exactly is formaldehyde? Its a common indoor air pollutant found in virtally all homes and buildings. it is a colorless gas with a pungent odor and at elevated levels it is irritating to eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde can be used for many purposes and is a well-known chemical because it has a low cost. You can be exposed to it by breathing air containing it. this usually occurs in indoor environments where the gas has been released with products that have formaldehyde in it. This can affect your health. By breathing air that has levels of formaldehyde it can cause burning and watery eyes. When those levels get higher, it can cause burning of nose and throat, coughing and difficulty breathing. if you are exposed to strong mixtures of formaldehyde, as a gas or liquid it can cause irritation or a rash if they contact the skin. Formaldehyde causes cancer in animals, but there is not enough evidence to show it causes cancer in humans. The Hazardous substances Emergency Events surveillance system collects informatoin about releases of hazardous substances. the goal is to reduce the morbidity(injury) and death that result from hazardous substances, events which are experirenced by general public. The Agency For Toxic Substances And Disease Registry goal is to take public health action and give information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances. There is no medical test to find out how much formaldehyde you have been exposed to. The federal agencies that have made recomendations are EPA, Occupational Safety and health Administraion(OHSA), and Food And Drug Administration(FDA). these recommendations provide valuable guidelines to prtect health but cant be enforced by law. Sources: www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth 