Inhaled formaldehyde: Evaluation of sensory irritation in relation to carcinogenicity

Wood production, wood technology, and biotechnological impacts

“…Formaldehyde is an issue of environmental concern by its adverse effects on health and has recently been upgraded by the World Health Organization (WHO) to hazard class 1, "carcinogenic" (Cogliano et al 2005, IARC 2004, Schulte et al 2006see above). Critical health effects of formaldehyde exposure include sensory irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth, allergenic reactions, and the potential to form protein-protein and DNA-protein crosslinks in cells of the body and to induce tumors particularly in the upper respiratory tract (see for example the studies by Basketter et al 2001, Vasilescu et al 2004, Arts et al 2006, Casset et al 2006, McGregor et al 2006, Metz et al 2006, Speit & Schmid 2006. In addition, high temperatures and high relative humidity can result in odour problems in rooms containing panel boards manufactured with UF resins (Marutzky 1989, Kulle 1993.…”

“…In Japan, the class F** limit of formaldehyde emission of panel boards in interior use is ≤1.5 mg/l as detected by the desiccator method which in the perforator test corresponds to about 8-9 mg/100 g absolutely dry particle board and thus is slightly above the limit of E1 . Although there are still debates on the effective levels of formaldehyde emissions (Liteplo & Meek 2003, Hauptmann et al 2003, Arts et al 2006, Orsière et al 2006, Japan tightened by legislation (Japanese standards JIS A 5908 2003 and JIS A 5905 2003) formaldehyde emissions from panel boards to nearly the zero level (class F***: limit of formaldehyde emission of panel boards in interior use ≤0.5 mg/l as detected by the desiccator method which in the perforator test corresponds to about 4 mg/100 g absolutely dry particle board; class F****: limit of formaldehyde emission of panel boards in interior use ≤0.3 mg/l as detected by the desiccator method which in the perforator test corresponds to about 2 mg/100 g absolutely dry particle board; , Risholm-Sundman et al 2007). Modern production strategies target therefore at fabrication of formaldehyde emission-free boards ; see also Chapters 16 and 18 of this book).…”

Towards a formalin-free hospital. Levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane and malondialdehyde to monitor exposure to formaldehyde in nurses from operating theatres

“…6,7 In particular, acute exposure to FA can cause irritation (of eyes, nose, throat, and skin), nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, cough, conjunctivitis, fatigue, rashes, shortness of breath, nausea and nosebleeds. 8,9 FA is also known as a human carcinogen and an inducer of chronic toxicity, being endowed with genotoxic and oxidant activities. 1,[10][11][12] Among the chronic effects of FA, an increased incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer in definite FA-exposed workers was demonstrated by some authors 13,14 while others have shown a relationship between FA and leukemia.…”

Genotoxic Effects of Exposure to Formaldehyde in Two Different Occupational Settings

“…Trigeminus stimulation is not necessarily an indication of cell or tissue damage. At higher concentrations formaldehyde will lead to cytotoxic reactions; this cytotoxic respiratory tract irritation is a localized pathophysiological response to a chemical, involving local redness, swelling, or itching (Arts et al, 2006). Formaldehyde was long considered as a probable human carcinogen (Group 2A chemical) based on experimental animal studies and limited evidence of human carcinogenicity.…”