Widely used in construction, manufacturing, materials consumer products and in embalming.
consumers and workers are regularly exposed to this chemical.
Carcinogenic with increases in deaths among pathologists, anatomists and morticians from leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers (Harrington JM, Blair A,Stroup NE).
Morticians have a higher risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia with increasing number of years of embalming and with increased peak exposure of formaldehyde (Hauptman M).
Associated with nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia.
Mortality rate of embalmers from leukemia elevated in those who perform embalmings for more than 34 years, performed more than 3068 embalmings and those that are estimated to have had a cumulative formaldehyde exposure exceeding 9253 part per million-hours (Hauptmann M).
Workers in manufacturing and production working with formaldehyde have a 3 fold risk of dying from myeloid leukemia (Hauptmann M).
More than 2 million workers in the US are exposed to formaldehyde.
Vapor concentration is monitored in surgical pathology gross dissection labs, in histology labs, and in autopsy suites.
Exposures that exceed 0.5 parts per million are excessive.
Short-term exposure limits should not exceed 2 parts per million.
Formaldehyde exposures in the range of 0.1-0.5 ppm associated with irritation of the airway and allergy type reactions.