Formaldehyde report`s release was delayed by four years

The US government has recently added formaldehyde to a list of known carcinogens. The report prepared for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), contained warnings from scientists that people with higher exposure to formaldehyde were more at risk for nasopharyngeal cancer, myeloid leukemia and other cancers.  

However it has emerged the he study`s release was delayed for four years. The years-long delay in the release of the report was thought to be in result of lobbying of the Obama and Bush administrations and Congress by the chemical industry.

Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable gas that has a distinct, pungent smell much like that of hay. It`s widely used in industry and causes severe health issues if used inappropriately. 

Formaldehyde is naturally produced in small amounts in our bodies. It is used in the production of fertilizer, paper, plywood, and urea-formaldehyde resins. It is also used as a preservative in some foods and in many products used around the house, such as antiseptics, medicines, cosmetics and personal care products.  Other exposure to formaldehyde occurs from out-gassing when synthetic materials such as carpets and foam used in cushions etc reach a certain temperature.

Small concentrations of formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucus membranes, resulting in watery eyes, headache, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing. Large formaldehyde exposures is converted to formic acid in the body, leading to a rise in blood acidity, rapid, shallow breathing, hypothermia, and coma or death.

In the body, formaldehyde can cause proteins to irreversibly bind to DNA. Laboratory animals exposed to large doses of inhaled formaldehyde over their lifetimes have developed more cancers of the nose and throat than are usual, as have workers in particle-board sawmills. 

If the federal report is correct, it is bad enough that the chemical industry evidently was prepared for years to increase Americans` likelihood of contracting cancer through some of its products. It is even worse that it made strenuous efforts to suppress that information in the name of preserving or enhancing profits.

 The Formaldemeter htV-m instrument from PPM Technology directly measures airborne formaldehyde concentrations as well as ambient temperature and humidity levels. More information - http://www.ppm-technology.com/formaldemeter%20htv-m.htm

News report -http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20110623/OPINION04/106230312