What is Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde, or CH2O, is commonly found in new buildings or homes through the acrid smell that pervade the room. It is a common ingredient in making hard pressed wood like particleboard, plywood, or fiberboard, adhesives and permanent press. Not only is formaldehyde commonly used in household products and building materials, but it is also found in the environment from sea water, animal waste, or smokes from forest fires. Formaldehyde can easily be emitted through fuel burners and burning wood in open fireplaces. 

What are its potential impacts to the environment?

Thankfully, formaldehyde is also naturally produced in living organisms and does not bioaccumulate in their bodies. However, when exposed to the environment, formaldehyde rapidly decomposes to formic acid and carbon monoxide. These two chemicals pose dangers to the environment in different ways. Formic acid can danger aquatic organisms while being corrosive when exposed to humans. On the other hand, carbon monoxide leads to increases in greenhouse gases, further worsening global warming by raising the temperature of the atmosphere. High levels of carbon monoxide can pose potential health threats to animals as well as creating fertility issues.

What are some current actions at progress to prevent the dangers imposed by formaldehyde?

As formaldehyde is a commonly used chemical that we are easily exposed to, regulations have been made to prevent excessive levels of formaldehyde used in the production of materials. Countries are taking the matter at their own hands by restricting amounts of formaldehyde allowed in products to protect both humans and the environment.

Works Cited:

“Formaldehyde.” American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html.

“Carbon Monoxide.” National Pollutant Inventory, http://www.npi.gov.au/resource/carbon-monoxide

“Formaldehyde.”National Pollutant Inventory, www.npi.gov.au/resource/formaldehyde.

ICSC 0485 - FORMIC ACID, www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0485.htm 

“Formaldehyde”. R.G. Liteplo, R. Beauchamp, M.E. Meek, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada, and R. Chénier, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada, United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization, Geneva 2002, Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals.