Formaldehyde: We meet at long last, it's where the rubber meets the road.

Megan Roth

Contributor

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Steve and I have been talking, and we feel it's time and probably necessary to introduce our readers to formaldehyde; we figure "whether you know it or not you're probably sharing your home, clothing, cleaning supplies, etc. with it; so it's probably time to meet."

Let me introduce you - this is formaldehyde: “an important chemical used widely by industries to manufacture building materials and numerous household products.” That, folks, is as defined by the EPA.

But one should know that, just because it’s important, doesn’t mean it’s harmless. In fact, far from it! Important as formaldehyde may be to industries, it comes at a cost.

For all you know, formaldehyde is dancing circles around you right this moment. So what, right? It’s in “numerous household products,” so it can’t be that bad…

Well, truth be told, it is. Formaldehyde is what I consider a "silent killer.” Though it’s colorless (thus, not visible as a gas), it does have a very distinct odor (an odor commonly associated with Biology labs, medical facilities, and other related facilities).

In those situations, formaldehyde is clearly present. In traces, however, it’s undetectable to our human senses. Thus, it may be lurking in your basement without you even knowing.

Or worse, it could be lurking in and around your significant other. Does he/she smoke? Because formaldehyde is found in more that just wood products and fuel-burning appliances; it’s also present in each and every pack of Marlboros, Virginia Slims, etc. That’s right, the chemical occupies space in those cancer sticks, and rightfully so: after all, it is classified as a human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) on an international level (but don’t worry, smokers – the EPA has not yet classified it as a full-on carcinogen in the states; they’ve identified it as a probable carcinogen…)

Well, when it comes down to effects on your health, the injection of “probable” in the EPA’s definition doesn’t really matter. It either is or it isn’t a carcinogen. And in this particular case, evidence points to “it is”.

So what does that mean? Just how dangerous is the chemical? What are its effects? Do those effects vary based on exposure? Does exposure affect everyone the same? Yadda, yadda, yadda…

These are just a few of the questions floating through my mind – and each seems equally worthy of an answer. It’s time to start digging…guess I’ll roll up my sleeves, ‘cause it’s about to get dirty.