INDEX

S.no Contents
1 Introduction
 History
 How are people exposed to formaldehyde?
2 Synthesis and industrial production
3 Uses
 Industrial application
 Disinfectant and biocide
 Tissue fixative and embalming agent

4 Safety
 International bans
5 Contaminations in food
 Findings in Kerala
 In other countries
6 How to minimize risks associated with
formaldehyde exposure
7 Bibliography
1.Introduction
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical
widely used to make home building products. Most formaldehyde
produced in the United States is for the pom,manufacture of resins,
such as urea-formaldehyde, used to make the adhesives for pressed
wood products, such as particleboard, furniture, paneling, cabinets,
and other products. Formaldehyde is also commonly used as a
preservative in medical laboratories, mortuaries, and consumer
products, including some hair smoothing and straightening products. It
is also a by-product of automobile combustion and is produced in small
amounts by most living organisms, including humans.

History
Formaldehyde was first reported in 1859 by the Russian
chemist Aleksander Butlerov (1828–86) and was conclusively identified
in 1869 by August Wilhelm von Hofmann

How are people exposed to formaldehyde?

People are exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace and in their

home environment, but the highest levels are found in work settings
where formaldehyde is used or produced. Exposure to formaldehyde
can occur in numerous industries and professions, such as
manufacturers of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins,
woodworking, and furniture making. Morticians and laboratory workers
may also be exposed to formaldehyde.

The general population is exposed to formaldehyde by breathing

contaminated indoor or outdoor air and from tobacco smoke.
Automobile and other combustion sources, such as woodstoves,
incinerators, refineries, forest fires, and fumes released from new
construction or home-finishing products, are some of the major
sources of airborne formaldehyde. Other consumer goods, including
some hair smoothing and straightening products used in salons,
cleaning agents, glues, and adhesives, may contain formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde levels can be higher in indoor air than in outdoor air.

Since the release of the 12th Report on Carcinogens, several

companies that use formaldehyde in their products, have been making
efforts to remove or reformulate the chemical so it is less harmful.
2.Synthesis and industrial production
Formaldehyde is produced industrially by the catalytic oxidation
of methanol. The most common catalysts are silver metal or a mixture
of an iron and molybdenum or vanadium oxides. In the commonly
used formox process, methanol and oxygen react at ca. 250–400 °C in
presence of iron oxide in combination with molybdenum and/or
vanadium to produce formaldehyde according to the chemical
equation.
2 CH3OH + O2 → 2 CH2O + 2 H2O
The silver-based catalyst usually operates at a higher temperature,
about 650 °C. Two chemical reactions on it simultaneously produce
formaldehyde: that shown above and the dehydrogenation reaction:
CH3OH → CH2O + H2
In principle, formaldehyde could be generated by oxidation of methane,
but this route is not industrially viable because the methanol is more
easily oxidized than methane.
3.Uses
Industrial application
Formaldehyde is a common precursor to more complex compounds
and materials. In approximate order of decreasing consumption,
products generated from formaldehyde include urea formaldehyde
resin, melamine resin, phenol formaldehyde resin, plastics, 1,4-
butanediol. The textile industry uses formaldehyde-based resins
as finishers to make fabrics crease-resistant.Formaldehyde-based
materials are key to the manufacture of automobiles, and used to
make components for the transmission, electrical system, engine
block, door panels, axles and brake shoes. The value of sales of
formaldehyde and derivative products was over $145 billion in 2003,
about 1.2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States
and Canada. Including indirect employment, over 4 million people work
in the formaldehyde industry across approximately 11,900 plants in the
U.S. and Canada.
Formaldehyde polymers are common permanent adhesives used
in plywood and carpeting. It is used as the wet-strength resin added to
sanitary paper products such as facial tissue, table napkins, and roll
towels. They are also foamed to make insulation, or cast into moulded
products. Production of formaldehyde resins accounts for more than
half of formaldehyde consumption.
Formaldehyde is also a precursor to polyfunctional alcohols such
as pentaerythritol, which is used to make paints and explosives. Other
formaldehyde derivatives include an important component
in polyurethane paints and foams, and hexamine, which is used in
phenol-formaldehyde resins as well as the explosive RDX.

Disinfectant and biocide

An aqueous solution of formaldehyde can be useful as a disinfectant
as it kills most bacteria and fungi (including their spores). It is used to
kill produced vaccines. Formaldehyde releasers are used as biocides
in personal care products such as cosmetics. Although present at
levels not normally considered harmful, they are known to cause
allergy in certain sensitized individuals.
Formaldehyde is also approved for use in the manufacture of animal
feeds in the US. It is an antimicrobial agent used to maintain complete
animal feeds or feed ingredients Salmonella negative for up to 21
days.

Tissue fixative and embalming agent

Formaldehyde preserves or fixes tissue or cells. The process involves
cross-linking of primary amino groups. The European Union has
banned the use of formaldehyde due to its carcinogenic properties as
a biocide (including embalming) under the Biocidal Products Directive
Countries with a strong tradition of embalming corpses, such as Ireland
and other colder-weather countries, have raised concerns. Despite
reports to the contrary, no decision on the inclusion of formaldehyde on
Annex I of the Biocidal Products Directive for product-type 22
(embalming and taxidermist fluids) had been made as of
September 2009.
Formaldehyde is also used as a denaturing agent
in RNA gel electrophoresis, preventing RNA from forming secondary
structures. A solution of 4% formaldehyde fixes pathology tissue
specimens at about one mm per hour at room temperature.
Drug testing
Formaldehyde and an 18 M (concentrated) sulfuric
acid makes Marquis Reagent which can identify alkaloids and other
compounds.
4.Safety
The safety of formaldehyde is very complicated. It occurs naturally and
is "an essential intermediate in cellular metabolism in mammals and
humans." It is not acutely toxic as ingestion of many milliliters is
tolerated. The main concerns are associated with long term exposure
by inhalation. This may happen through three main
sources: thermal or chemical decomposition of formaldehyde-based
resins, emission from aqueous formaldehyde solutions (i.e. embalming
fluids), and the production of formaldehyde resulting from
the combustion of a variety of organic compounds (for example,
exhaust gases). As formaldehyde resins are used in many construction
materials it is one of the more common indoor air pollutants. At
concentrations above 0.1 ppm in air formaldehyde can irritate the eyes
and mucous membranes, resulting in watery eyes. Formaldehyde
inhaled at this concentration may cause headaches, a burning
sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing, and can trigger or
aggravate asthma symptoms.
The formaldehyde theory of carcinogenesis was proposed in 1978. In
1987 the U.S. EPA classified it as a probable human carcinogen, and
after more studies the WHO International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) in 1995 also classified it as a probable human
carcinogen. Further information and evaluation of all known data led
the IARC to reclassify formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen
associated with nasal sinus cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer.
Professionals exposed to formaldehyde in their occupation, such as
funeral industry workers and embalmers, showed an increased risk of
leukemia and brain cancer compared with the general
population. Other factors are important in determining individual risk for
the development of leukemia or nasopharyngeal cancer.
 Have you ever seen this?

In the residential environment, formaldehyde exposure comes from a

number of different routes; formaldehyde can off-gas from wood
products, such as plywood or particle board, but it is produced by
paints, varnishes, floor finishes, and cigarette smoking as well. In July
2016, the EPA released a prepublication version of its final rule on
Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood
Products. These new rules impact manufacturers, importers,
distributors, and retailers of products containing composite wood,
including fiberboard, particleboard, and various laminated products.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows no

more than 0.016 ppm formaldehyde in the air in new buildings
constructed for that agency. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
study found a new home measured 0.076 ppm when brand new and
0.045 ppm after 30 days. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) has also announced limits on the formaldehyde levels
in trailers purchased by that agency. The EPA recommends the use of
"exterior-grade" pressed-wood products with phenol instead of urea
resin to limit formaldehyde exposure, since pressed-wood products
containing formaldehyde resins are often a significant source of
formaldehyde in homes.
People who suffer allergic reactions to formaldehyde tend to display
lesions on the skin in the areas that have had direct contact with the
substance, such as the neck or thighs (often due to formaldehyde
released from permanent press finished clothing) or dermatitis on the
face (typically from cosmetics). Formaldehyde has been banned in
cosmetics in both Sweden and Japan. Formaldehyde inhalation has
also shown to cause oxidative stress and inflammation in animals.
Mice studied over an exposure to a high dose of formaldehyde (3ppm),
showed increased NO−3 levels in plasma.

In June 2011, the twelfth edition of the National Toxicology

Program (NTP) Report on Carcinogens (RoC) changed the listing
status of formaldehyde from "reasonably anticipated to be a human
carcinogen" to "known to be a human carcinogen. Concurrently,
a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee was convened and
issued an independent review of the draft United States Environmental
Protection Agency IRIS assessment of formaldehyde, providing a
comprehensive health effects assessment and quantitative estimates
of human risks of adverse effects.
International bans
Several web articles claim that formaldehyde has been banned from
manufacture or import into the European Union (EU) under REACH
(Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and restriction of Chemical
substances) legislation. This is misinformation, as official EU chemical
database contradict these claims as of February 19, 2010. This
misconception has gained some ground. Formaldehyde is not listed in
the Annex I of Regulation (EC) nor on a priority list for risk
assessment. However, formaldehyde is banned from use in certain
applications (preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems,
metalworking-fluid preservatives, and antifouling products) under the
Biocidal Products Directive. In the EU, the maximum allowed
concentration of formaldehyde in finished products is 0.2%, and any
product that exceeds 0.05% has to include a warning that the product
contains formaldehyde.
5.Contamination in food
Findings in Kerala
It began with the Kerala government finding formaldehyde in fish
being transported into the State. The use of this chemical is banned in
fresh foods, like fish, by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India. But unscrupulous vendors sometimes use it to preserve fish for
longer. After Kerala’s findings, other States began investigating.
Eventually, The Kerala government has followed up the detection
with fish seizures. But Goa’s Chief Minister has said formaldehyde
occurs naturally in fish, and wasn’t the result of contamination

Other countries
Scandals have broken in both the 2005 Indonesia food scare and 2007
Vietnam food scare regarding the addition of formaldehyde to foods to
extend shelf life. In 2011, after a four-year absence, Indonesian
authorities found foods with formaldehyde being sold in markets in a
number of regions across the country. In 2014, the owner of two
noodle factories in Bogor, Indonesia, was arrested for using
formaldehyde in noodles. 50 kg of formaldehyde was confiscated.
Foods known to be contaminated included noodles, salted fish, and
tofu. Chicken and beer were also rumored to be contaminated. In
some places, such as China, manufacturers still use formaldehyde
illegally as a preservative in foods, which exposes people to
formaldehyde ingestion.
In 2011 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, truckloads of rotten chicken
were treated with formaldehyde for sale in which "a large network,"
including 11 slaughterhouses run by a criminal gang, was
implicated. In 2012, 1 billion rupiah (almost US$100,000) of fish
imported from Pakistan to Batam, Indonesia, were found with
formaldehyde.
6.How to minimize risks associated with
formaldehyde exposure:
1. Establish a no smoking policy in your home.
Cigarettes and other tobacco products should not be used inside the home.
There are many toxic effects of exposure to cigarette smoke, including
exposure to formaldehyde, and evidence continues to mount concerning the
health effects associated with cigarette smoke.

2. Clean chimneys and wood burning appliances.

Make sure fireplaces and woodstoves are in good working condition to
prevent smoke from getting into your living environment. Burn only well-
seasoned firewood, and keep your chimney clean and clear of obstructions.

3. Keep idling gas engines away from the home.

Engine exhaust contains a number of toxic chemicals, including
formaldehyde. If your home has an adjacent carport or garage, be sure the
door is well sealed to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the home. Do not
idle cars or other gas powered equipment, such as weedeaters, leaf blowers,
lawnmowers or snow plows, in attached garages or near open doors or
windows. Pay attention to wind direction when using gas-powered machines
around the home, especially during summer when windows are more likely to
be open.

4. Buy solid wood furniture, or be sure pressed wood products are sealed.
To keep emissions low from pressed wood furniture or cabinets, purchase
items with a plastic laminate or coating on all sides. For some building and
household products, there are low-formaldehyde options, such as U.L.E.F.
(ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde), N.A.F. (no added formaldehyde) or
C.A.R.B. (California Air Resources Board) Phase 1 or Phase 2 compliant.
5. Increase ventilation during painting projects. Use low-VOC paints.
Ensure there is adequate ventilation during all home painting or varnishing
projects, or when installing wall-to-wall carpets using glues or adhesives.
Low-VOC and Zero-VOC paints are now readily available at most paint
stores, and these paints have the same or higher quality standards of
conventional paints.

6. Let new furnishings “off-gas” before bringing indoors.

Allow products that contain formaldehyde to “air out” before bringing them
into your home. Open all product packing to expose the products to air as
much as possible.

7. Ventilate your home regularly.

Formaldehyde concentrations are higher indoors than they are outdoors, so
you can decrease indoor formaldehyde levels by letting in fresh air. Also, high
relative humidity increases formaldehyde emissions, so you can use a
dehumidifier to reduce relative humidity to recommended levels of 50% in
summer and 30% in winter.
7.Bibliography
 NCERT textbook
 https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/formaldehyde/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde
 https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html
 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Formaldehyde
 https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/formaldehyde/index.
 https://www.britannica.com/science/formaldehyde
 https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/facts-about-formaldehyde
 https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/confused-over-
choosing-better-quality-fish-cift-has-a-solution/article29894932.ece
 https://indianexpress.com/article/business/johnson-and-johnson-baby-
shampoo-powder-national-commission-for-protection-of-child-rights-
ban-sale-rajasthan-government-drug-test-5699128/