Environment
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance in the environment made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, natural processes in the upper atmosphere may contribute up to 90 percent of the total formaldehyde in the environment (World Health Organization, International Programme on Chemical Safety, Concise International Chemical Assessment Document: Formaldehyde). Since formaldehyde is a by-product of combustion, cars and trucks emit formaldehyde, as does burning wood (EPA Office of Air Quality, National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, SAB Review Draft, Table 4-8, 2001). Formaldehyde does not accumulate in the environment, because it is broken down within a few hours by sunlight or by bacteria present in soil or water. Humans metabolize formaldehyde quickly, so it does not accumulate in the body.
In The Home and Outdoors
One of the most important uses of formaldehyde is in adhesives, which benefit from its chemistry and are employed in the production of wood composite products that are extensively used in furniture, kitchen cabinets, counters and flooring. While very little formaldehyde is present in a form that can be released, small quantities of formaldehyde gas can be emitted from various wood composite products. These low level emissions diminish over time. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has standards that limit formaldehyde emissions from wood products and industry has set its own voluntary standards that are even more restrictive.
Industry's commitment to improving technology has resulted in decreasing releases of formaldehyde from products. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a 1997 paper, "Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels, usually less than 0.03 ppm (parts per million), in both outdoor and indoor air."
Two recent studies have concluded that thermal insulation products manufactured with phenol-formaldehyde resins likely do not result in significant formaldehyde concentrations in buildings.
There are emissions of formaldehyde from some industrial facilities, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established limits and requires facilities to report the amount of formaldehyde used. EPA also regulates the amount of formaldehyde emitted in automobile exhaust.
The EPA limits emissions from manufacturing facilities that make or use formaldehyde, requires facilities to report the amount of formaldehyde emitted, and regulates the amount of formaldehyde in automobile exhaust.
