M4.2 Blog Assignment: National Library ToxNet

Urea formaldehyde is a synthetic resin that comes in a solid form of ammonia and when it is in its formaldehyde state it is a highly reactive gas from methane. Typically, Urea formaldehyde is found in pressed board, plywood and other wood products. Watery eyes, nose irritations, wheezing and coughing, fatigue, skin rash, severe allergic reactions, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans below 1.0 ppm. When Urea formaldehyde is in the air and below 1.0 ppm there is no immediate cause for alarm. Once levels reach 3.0-5.0 ppm chances are increased one will experience respiratory irritation and exposure to cancer. The most common way people interact with Urea formaldehyde is through inhalation. People can also be exposed to it by food such as cooking or when food burns. It can also be found in makeup and lotions, which many people use on a daily basis. Which poses the question, why is this dangerous chemical at even small dosages that can cause harm still being used in everyday products? As American Cancer Society states, Formaldehyde is used as an preservative for foods to keep lasting longer on shelves. I know it is impossible to live in a society where we are chemically free, but adding chemicals in our foods and cosmetics knowing they can cause more harm than good should be reevaluated and other chemicals should be looked into that can do the same job with minimal exposure to impact our health.



Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea-formaldehyde
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 14, 2018 at 6:16 PM

    I also didn't know too much about formaldehyde other than it's used as a preservative for cadavers and I would always smell like it after high school biology class when we were dissecting cats. I had no idea that it was used in foods and baby shampoo before this class! I also didn't know there were different types like urea formaldehyde that is a resin and used in wood products and as an adhesive. There is so much to learn!

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  2. Douglas Fuller IIISeptember 17, 2018 at 2:56 PM

    Very true. Like Malena, my formaldehyde knowledge was limited to the preservation of bodies and things like that. My uncle owns (and lives in) a funeral home in Florida, and I remember as a child visiting him, and when my cousins would bring me to the preparation room to scare me as a child, as soon as you walked through the door, that smell of formaldehyde hit you. It's something that lingers and seems to be in your nose for days after smelling it. It's so unique and intense. I wonder if there are any studies about funeral directors related to exposure to Formaldehyde?

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