Formaldehyde (methyl aldehyde)

Formaldehyde

What is Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a gas in its pure form, but when diluted with water, is often used in a liquid form. Formaldehyde is colourless, highly flammable and detectable at 1ppm. It is also known as methanal, methylene oxide, oxymethyline, methylaldehyde, and oxomethane.

What products may contain Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is used as a base for resins which are used in wallpaper, paint, waxed paper, pressed wood and permanent press fabrics. Formaldehyde is present in types of glues, fibreboard- for example Medium-density fibreboard (MDF or MDFB), particle board, furniture, textiles and insulation. Formaldehyde is also found in detergents, cosmetics (for example: Quaternium-15 is a preservative found in many cosmetics that releases formaldehyde), domestic chemicals, cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Formaldehyde is a strong antimicrobial agent and is widely used to produce various vaccines for human inoculation.

Formaldehyde is released from products such as carpets and pressed wood products. Burning fuel in homes and vehicle exhaust are sources of formaldehyde. Low ventilation rates within homes and offices may lead to elevated indoor levels than outdoor levels.

What is the critical target of the toxicity of airborne formaldehyde?

The US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states that the critical target of airborne formaldehyde is the upper respiratory tract, exposed acutely or repeatedly (chronically) under occupational or residential conditions.

A World Health Organization (WHO) working group in 2000, concluded that the predominant symptoms of formaldehyde exposure are irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, together with lachrymation, sneezing, coughing, nausea, dypsnea and finally death, all concentration dependent.

How might exposure to Formaldehyde affect my health?

Persons may be exposed to formaldehyde by inhalation of vapours liberated from aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, from inhaling fumes (cigarettes, gas cookers, open fireplaces and smog) or from direct ingestion of eating/drinking of foods containing formaldehyde.

The Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) has assigned formaldehyde a carcinogen category number of 2 (A substance which is probably a human carcinogen) when inhaled. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that there is limited evidence for carcinogenicity to humans and sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity to animals (Group2A)

The overall total hazard score taking into account both human health and environmental criteria, as determined by the National Pollution Inventory (NPI) is 2.7 on a scale of 0-6 (6 being the worst).

Synergistic Effects

Synergism is an interaction of two or more chemicals which results in an effect that is greater than the sum of their effects taken independently. When chemicals are synergistic, the potential hazards of the chemicals should be re-evaluated, taking their synergistic properties into consideration. For example, Glutaraldehyde and Formaldehyde are much more potent when combined than when used individually, often Glutaraldehyde and Formaldehyde are used together to preserve specimens and as a sterilent or are found together as off-gassing from unsealed particle board shelving, carpets and furnishings. The use of both chemicals (and other sterilents and gases) in an enclosed room with new furnishings could potentially provide significant effects on exposed individuals. Many chemicals used within for example hospital X Ray and operating theatres are individually dangerous, many have unknown synergistic effects and most have Material Safety Data Sheets which will make no mention of potential synergistic effects the use of certain chemicals may have.

What is the airborne exposure limit for Formaldehyde Vapour?

AUSTRALIA:

The Hazardous Substance Information System (HSIS) supplied by the Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council provides an eight-hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure limit of 1.2 mg/m3 (1ppm) and short term exposure limit (STEL) of 2.5mg/m3.
In 2006 the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) recommended reducing the TWA to 0.36mg/m3 (0.3ppm) and STEL to 0.72mg/m3.

Canada and the U.S.A

In 1989, Canada recommended a target TWA level of 0.05ppm.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have a notice of intent to change to a ceiling limit of 0.3ppm.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a permissable exposure limit for formaldehyde of 0.75 ppm (for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour work week) and a 15-minute STEL of 2ppm and an 0.5 ppm Action Level. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of Ca TWA 0.016 ppm (for a 10- hour workday during a 40-hour workweek) and (a REL ceiling limit) C of 0.1 ppm [15-minute]. All are under currently under review.*

It is interesting to note that the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (1989) have recommended that in order to prevent sensory irritation in the general population in ambient air, a air quality guideline value of 0.08ppm is recommended. The WHO adopted this recommendation in 2000.

* Notations:

The OSHA permissible exposure limits (PEL) are TWA concentrations that must not be exceeded during any 8-hour workshift of a 40-hour workweek. A STEL is designated by "ST" preceding the value and is measured over a 15-minute period unless noted otherwise. OSHA ceiling concentrations (designated by "C" preceding the value) must not be exceeded during any part of the workday; if instantaneous monitoring is not feasible, the ceiling must be assessed as a 15-minute TWA exposure.

Action levels indicate the level of a harmful or toxic substance/activity which requires medical surveillance, increased industrial hygiene monitoring, or biological monitoring. Action levels are generally set at one half of the PEL but the actual level may vary from standard to standard. The intent is to identify a level at which the vast majority of randomly sampled exposures will be below the PEL.
The NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs) are time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations for up to a 10-hour workday during a 40-hour workweek. A short-term exposure limit (STEL) is designated by "ST" preceding the value; unless noted otherwise, the STEL is a 15-minute TWA exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during a workday. A ceiling REL is designated by "C" preceding the value. Any substance that NIOSH considers to be a potential occupational carcinogen is designated by the notation "Ca."

How can exposure to Formaldehyde be monitored?

Formaldehyde may be determined in occupational air using collection on adsorbent tubes, solvent desorption and HPLC-UV analysis. Detection limits depend upon the amount of air sampled and accuracy is very good. Sometimes passive samplers are used (however little performance data is available).

For adsorbent tube samples, samples are collected using personal sampling pumps that have been calibrated, with sampling devices attached, to within ±5% at the recommended flow rate of 50 mL/min. The sampling devices consist of adsorbent tubes that are contained in commercially available tube holders. The devices are connected to the pumps with flexible, non-crimpable tubing. SKC adsorbent silica gel tubes are commonly used. Analysis of tubes is via HPLC-UV. Other techniques include the use of SKC Passive Samplers (and HPLC-UV) or closed face cassettes.

Other techniques are used for the isolation and concentration of Formaldehyde in environmental samples.

The Assessment of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

In many cases the first step in planning an Occupational Hygiene Program is to assess the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all the materials used by an organization, in addition to that of the chemical under investigation, Formaldehyde.

In planning the program, GETEX hygienists must take into account any additive effects of a combination of materials (refer to synergistic effects above), and may also take into account a different time of exposure, for example, a 10 hour working day.

GETEX can help you instigate monitoring and/or devise a site management plan to control your site’s emissions.

The staff at GETEX has many years of experience in airborne hazardous material risk assessments including many projects involving the monitoring and management of VOCs including Formaldehyde, Xylene and Glutaraldehydes. GETEX are ready to recommend & implement cost-effective monitoring programs in any part of Australia and overseas. Together with the administrative assistance and monitoring GETEX can recommend appropriate engineering controls and Personal Respirable Protective Equipment.

Why Choose GETEX?

Trained Consultants with many years of experience across a broad range of occupational air quality services
Trained Consultants employed by Getex are members of Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, Inc (AIOH)
GETEX offers specialist occupational hygiene advice, 24 hours/7 days a week.
GETEX carries full professional indemnity insurance.

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Sources of information used in preparing this webpage

Australian Safety and Compensation Council (2004), Exposure Standard Formaldehyde (accessed April, 2007).
Environment, Protection and Heritage Council incorporating National Environment Protection Council, National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) (accessed April, 2007)
International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (accessed April 2007)
National Pollutant Inventory (NPI), Department of Environment and Conservation (accessed April, 2007)
National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (www.nicnas.com.au) (accessed April. 2007)
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, NIOSH Publication No. 2005-149, September 2005 (accessed April, 2007)