What’s in Your Home Environment Can Be Making You Sick - Formaldehyde

Leakage of formaldehyde from new furniture is preventable by varnishing, painting and sealing the furniture with a waterproof finish such as polyurethane. Photo provided by preteenagerstoday.com

Washington, D.C.- Traditionally, when we buy our homes and the furnishings in them, we take into account things like the number of rooms in a house, what style and size of furnishings we want, but rarely do we think about what the stuff we buy is made of.

While to many the chemical composition of things might not matter, it can make others very sick. Personally, I remember being young and having to help my father paint the fence of our house in Greece, getting nauseous from the paint fumes, and throwing up. The smell had no affect on my father. I don’t know what was in the paint, but it made me sick.

Today, many homes are constructed with materials that contain formaldehyde, in addition to many of the furnishings that we buy which also contain the substance - and it’s where you least expect it.

Formaldehyde has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, for example, is one source of formaldehyde that was used in home construction until the early 1980s. And while this material is seldom used anymore, what is commonly used is formaldehyde-based resins in finishes, plywood, paneling, fiberboard, and particleboard - all widely employed in mobile and conventional home construction as building materials.

Formaldehyde is also found in carpentry such as cabinets, as well as materials such as permanent press fabrics, draperies, and mattress ticking (the outside fabric used to cover your mattress).

Now, formaldehyde besides being a probable carcinogen, is also what’s known as a volatile organic compound, which at room temperature can be emitted as a gas. Other VOCs include pesticides, solvents, and cleaning agents. Symptoms of irritation from VOCs include headaches, nausea, and allergic skin reactions.

Symptoms specifically from airborne formaldehyde vary depending on the level and length of exposure, and range from burning and tingling sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat area to chest tightness and wheezing. The EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of the U.S. population, including asthmatics, may have hyperactive airways which make them more susceptible to formaldehyde’s effects.

While for many, a home renovation to get rid of the formaldehyde laden materials is not feasible, what can be done to reduce the exposure is to use polyurethane or other sealants on cabinets, paneling and other furnishings - completely covering all surfaces. Materials items containing formaldehyde should be replaced with safer alternatives.