Formaldehyde - CDPH Home

FormaldehydeOverexposure to formaldehyde irritates the eyes, nose,throat, and skin. Formaldehyde can cause allergic reactionsof the skin (dermatitis) and the lungs (asthma). Formaldehydeis a known cause of cancer in humans.How to find out ifSome synonymsyou are working withformaldehydeand trade names offormaldehyde productsYour employer must tell you if you are workingwith formaldehyde, and must train you to use itsafely, under California's Formaldehyde Standardand the Hazard Communication Standard (seepage 8). If you think you may be exposed toformaldehyde on the job, ask to see the MaterialSafety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for the products youare using. The MSDS must identify formaldehydein Section 2, by the Chemical Abstract Service(CAS) number 50-00-0.Formaldehyde is commonly used as formalin, amixture of 30-50% formaldehyde and 10-20%methyl alcohol in water. Formalin readily givesoff irritating vapors with a strong odor.formalinmethaldehydemethanalmethyl aldehydemethylene glycolmethylene rmMorbicidHow formaldehyde isused and where it’s foundFormaldehyde is used as a FACTSHEETHESISFEBRUARY 2011 (revised) disinfectant and sterilant,*fumigant,preservative, and in embalming fluid,some keratin-based hair smoothing treatments.* (other aldehydes used include glutaraldehyde andortho-phthalaldehyde)HAZARD EVALUATION SYSTEM & INFORMATION SERVICECalifornia Department of Public HealthOccupational Health Branch850 Marina Bay Parkway, Building P, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804510-620-5757 www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohbCalifornia Department of Public Health California Department of Industrial Relations

It is used in making chemical resins wrinkle-proof fabrics rubber products latex paints dyes plastics paper products, and cosmetics.It is found in insulation materials plywood particle board adhesives glues paint primers, and fingernail products.Any of these materials may give off formaldehydevapors.Formaldehyde is also present in combustionproducts, such as vehicle exhaust and tobaccosmoke.Some workers whomay have substantialexposure toformaldehydechemical and rubber workersembalmerslaboratory workershealth care workersclothing and textile workersfurniture or wood product makersfoundry workersinsulation workersH ow formaldehydeaffects your bodyFormaldehyde can affect you when you breatheits vapors or touch the liquid. Becauseformaldehyde reacts quickly with body tissues,it mainly affects the place of direct contact, suchas the eyes, nose, and skin. The most commoneffect of overexposure is irritation of the eyes,nose, and throat.2Eyes, Nose, and Throat. The eyes, nose, andthroat are irritated by formaldehyde vapors at levelsas low as about 0.3 part formaldehyde per millionparts of air (0.3 part per million, or 0.3 “ppm" — see“Legal Exposure Limits"). This exposure can causered, teary, burning eyes, sneezing and coughing, andsore throat. Some people have irritant symptoms atthese very low exposure levels, while others cantolerate levels as high as a few ppm with little or noreaction.Liquid formaldehyde solutions contacting the eyescan damage the cornea, possibly causing blindness.Lungs. High levels (5-30 ppm and higher) canseverely irritate the lungs, causing chest pain andshortness of breath.Repeated exposure to formaldehyde can causeallergic asthma. Symptoms of asthma includechest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, andcoughing. Formaldehyde's long-term effects on thelungs are not fully understood.Skin. Formaldehyde solutions can destroy your skin'snatural protective oils, causing dryness, flaking,cracking, and dermatitis (skin rash). Skin contact canalso cause an allergic reaction (redness, itching, hives,and blisters). As many as one in twenty workers whoare regularly exposed to formaldehyde develop anallergic skin reaction.Cancer. Formaldehyde exposure can cause cancer ofthe nose and sinuses in humans, as well as sometypes of leukemia and lymphoma. Formaldehyde isregulated as a carcinogen by Cal/OSHA and Cal/EPA.Reproductive System. Formaldehyde’s effect onpregnancy and the reproductive system has beenstudied in both humans and in laboratory animals.Formaldehyde has been shown to decrease fertilityand increase the risk of spontaneous abortion(miscarriage) in humans. In laboratory animals,formaldehyde can harm the developing fetus anddamage sperm. In order to avoid risk to pregnancyand the reproductive system, HESIS recommendsminimizing workplace exposures to formaldehydeprior to and during pregnancy.

Legal exposure limits Re-test the air for formaldehyde each time thereis a change that may result in new or additionalexposure.Permissible Exposure Limits. TheOccupational Safety and Health Standards Board setsPermissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for the amountsof chemicals in workplace air. PELs are intended toprotect the health of most workers who are exposedevery day over a working lifetime. Determine exposures promptly, if employees arehaving formaldehyde-related respiratory or skinsymptoms. Allow employees or their designatedrepresentatives to observe any required exposuremonitoring.The PEL for formaldehyde is 0.75 part offormaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 part permillion, or 0.75 ppm). Legally, your exposure maybe above the PEL at times, but only if it is belowthe PEL at other times, so that your average exposurefor any 8-hour workshift is no more than 0.75 ppm. Notify employees in writing within 15 days afterreceiving the exposure monitoring results.The Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) forformaldehyde is 2 ppm. Your average exposureduring any 15-minute period must not exceed2 ppm. Exposure at or above the STEL triggersspecial requirements.The Action Level for formaldehyde is 0.5 ppmaveraged over an 8-hour period. Air monitoring,medical surveillance, and other special requirementsare triggered at or above this level.Cal/OSHA's formaldehyde standard, California Codeof Regulations, Title 8, Section 5217, contains manyother specific requirements (see information onpage 8).Monitoring yourexposureTo reduce your risk of developing health problemsfrom exposure to formaldehyde, your employermust Identify employees who may be exposed at orabove the action level or STEL. Test the air to accurately determine how muchformaldehyde each identified employee isbreathing. Test the air periodically if the first tests showthat exposures are at or above the action level orSTEL.See the formaldehyde standard (information on page8) for additional exposure monitoring requirements.Tests for exposure andmedical effectsBlood or urine tests. Formaldehyde does notstay in your body. No medical or laboratory test canaccurately measure the amount of formaldehyde towhich you have previously been exposed. There is nomedical reason to do blood or urine tests forformaldehyde.Medical Surveillance. If you are exposed toformaldehyde at or above the action level or abovethe STEL, your employer must have a medicalsurveillance program to monitor effects on yourhealth.Your employer also must Provide the medical surveillance program if youdevelop signs and symptoms of overexposure toformaldehyde, or if you are exposed toformaldehyde during an emergency. Provide a medical disease questionnaire beforeassignment to jobs where exposures are at orabove the action level or above the STEL, andpromptly when you experience signs andsymptoms that indicate overexposure toformaldehyde.3

Ensure a medical examination if evaluation of the questionnaireindicates that you may be at increasedrisk for health effects; at the time you first start using arespirator (if you are required to wearone) and then once a year;By law, employers must provide a safe and healthyworkplace. Here are some ways employers andworkers can work together to reduce exposures toformaldehyde. See the formaldehyde regulation forspecific Cal/OSHA requirements (information onpage 8). as soon as possible if you are exposedto formaldehyde in an emergency.Use safer substitutes whenever possible Provide the medical exam at a reasonabletime and place, at no cost to you, andwithout loss of pay. Have a licensed physician or someone underthe physician’s supervision perform all medicalprocedures, including administration of themedical disease questionnaire. Provide specific information about your job, anda copy of the formaldehyde standardand the appendices, to the health care provider. Provide you with a copy of the physician’swritten opinion within 15 days afterreceiving it.Medical Removal. If you experience significantirritation of the eyes, throat, or lungs, orasthma-like symptoms such as chest tightness,shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing, aphysician must determine whether you need tobe removed from exposure to formaldehyde.A physician must also evaluate skin irritationor skin allergies caused by products that containat least 0.1% formaldehyde.See the Cal/OSHAformaldehyderegulation forother specificmedical removalrequirements includingjob transfer or job trainingwith retention of currentearnings, seniority andother benefits, and provisions formultiple physician review ofevaluation results.4Reducing exposure Hydrogen peroxide-based solutions often can beused as disinfectants. Ethyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, orphenoxyethanol can be used as fixatives orpreservatives.Ventilate the work area Install professionallydesigned ventilationsystems to maintainformaldehyde exposuresbelow legal exposure limits. Conduct regularmaintenance on ventilationsystems and ensure that theyare functioning properly. Do not allow ventilationsystems to recirculateformaldehyde vapors.Use personal protective equipment Protective clothing and equipment must beprovided at no cost to prevent skin and eyecontact with liquids containing 1% or moreformaldehyde. Employers must ensure thatemployees use it. Change rooms as specified in Title 8, Section3367 must be provided for employees whoare required to change from work clothes toprotective clothing. Gloves made of nitrile, neoprene, butyl rubberor polyethylene laminate protect againstincidental hand or skin contact withformaldehyde. Gloves made of latex may notprovide adequate protection and can causeallergic reactions.