Indoor air quality is crucial for the comfort and well-being of individuals who live indoors. That being said, indeed, formaldehyde in homes should be discussed more. The home will have a plethora of products that contain formaldehyde when released into the air indoors. It can be a negative factor for indoor air quality and health if exposure limits are not adhered to. To safeguard home, let’s define what it is, sources in the home, health impacts, the safety standards, and how to monitor and manage levels.
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What is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a colorless, gaseous chemical compound with a strong or pungent odor. It is used in industry for the production of building materials and innumerable household items, especially for any industrial resin that formulate products like boards or coatings, and other household items. It is also a gas product that is essentially diluted into a solution called formalin, which is used as a disinfectant or preservative and pesticide.
In the production of woods, it is most experienced in pressed wood products, such as plywood. In medicine, formaldehyde often is used in a solution state to preserve specimens and embalm deceased individuals.
However, at room temperature, formaldehyde is a compound that readily and quickly vaporizes. This property is what makes formaldehyde a volatile organic compound, or VOC. This property makes it even more likely to vaporize into air, therefore contributing to indoor air pollution.
Sources of Formaldehyde Exposure In Homes
Indoors, formaldehyde is usually attributed to several main sources, some of which you may not have noticed. One of the largest sources of indoor formaldehyde would be furniture built from manufactured wood materials such as particle board, plywood, and medium density fiberboard (MDF). This type of furniture contains adhesives with formaldehyde included in the formulation to bind the natural wood fibers or particles together for the sake of strength and durability.
Although adhesives will bond the wood materials together, the adhesives will ultimately evaporate into the indoor air and lead to formaldehyde emissions. The warmer the temperature, and the higher the humidity in the home, the quicker the adhesives will dissipate.
In addition to furniture, there is paint and wall coverings contributing to exposure from formaldehyde in the home. Many paints and coatings contain formaldehyde in formulations for primer, durability, fungistatic properties, as well as preservative or component. During and after the painting of a room, formaldehyde will evaporate and potentially cause indoor air contamination, particularly with little indoor ventilation.
Additionally, any glue or adhesive in the home or furniture is likely to be a source of formaldehyde. A glue commonly used to stick various wood and building materials together is urea-formaldehyde, which allows formaldehyde to escape while in use to the air for a period of time and possibly an unknown period thereafter.
Furthermore, common products like carpets, fabrics, and some household cleaners and detergents may also emit small amounts of formaldehyde. Again, the formaldehyde may be derived from treatments for preservation or chemical additives for enhanced performance purposes. While these levels or amounts may be less than the primary sources of formaldehyde, they may still accumulate, increasing the probability that these products can influence indoor air quality, before long.
Health Effects from Exposure to Formaldehyde in Homes
Formaldehyde is toxic to the human body and can have serious health effects, especially with sustained or high-level exposure. Inhaling a concentration of formaldehyde can produce irritative reactions in the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, nose, throat and lungs. Further, formaldehyde exposure has been shown to elicit allergic reactions and may provoke asthma or other lung illness.
In addition to its irritative properties, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers formaldehyde a human carcinogen, which means it can cause a person’s risk of developing certain cancers like nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia to be higher. In addition to its irritative properties, formaldehyde can be harmful in prolonged direct exposure to many internal organs, including the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas as well cause bleeding in the stomach or intestines (gastrointestinal bleeding).
Formal or gaseous formaldehyde exposure is harmful to the eyes and skin (dermatitis or burns/redness) and can lead to significant poisoning after ingestion and requires medical intervention.
WHO/EPA Safe Standards
WHO and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide safe exposure standards for being exposed to sufficient levels of formaldehyde indoors for protection from health risks related to this chemical.
According to WHO, indoor formaldehyde concentrations should not exceed 0.1 mg/m³ (≈0.08 ppm) for short-term (up to 30 minutes) exposure to avoid respiratory irritation. The EPA provides similar recommendations, suggesting short-term exposure limits of about 0.1 ppm for formaldehyde in homes.
How can you test for formaldehyde levels?
For indoor air quality testing of formaldehyde, there are a few options available based upon your needs and your level of intended accuracy. One basic option would be to use a portable formaldehyde meter or detector. This device is designed to be easy to use and provides immediate measurement results.
Chemical reagent-based formaldehyde test kits are also offered where the chemical reagent changes color to indicate the presence of formaldehyde gas concentration. Disadvantageously, this method is semi-quantitative; however, it is considered a fast, cheap test kit.
The best testing approach for accurate and thorough formaldehyde measurements is through laboratory testing. In this method, air samples are collected from the home, and then the samples are analyzed using specific equipment designed to measure formaldehyde concentration with great accuracy. Results from lab tests are valuable to health assessments, risk evaluation, and consideration of control measures.
In addition to measurement, another critical step to reduce the risk of exposure is the provision of adequate home ventilation. The use of low-formaldehyde home products is also highly recommended.
Final Note
To help reduce formaldehyde exposure in homes, Legom has a complete portfolio of solutions, including high-efficient HVAC systems and high-tech air purifiers. Legom Air Purifiers utilize advanced filtration methods that effectively remove formaldehyde and many other harmful contaminates to produce clean, safe, healthy indoor air.
When paired with an energy-efficient smart heating and cooling system, Legom promotes an energy-efficient, safe, comfortable home free of chemical contaminants. Choose Legom for smart home solutions that support your family’s health every day!