by Jbs060710 e3 — June 9, 2010—On June 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released for independent peer review and public comment a draft human health assessment for formaldehyde that focuses on evaluating the potential toxicity of inhalation exposures to this chemical. EPA will accept written comments on the draft assessment for 90 days after June 2.
Formaldehyde is present in a wide variety of products including some plywood adhesives, abrasive materials, insulation, insecticides and embalming fluids. The major sources of anthropogenic emissions of formaldehyde are motor vehicle exhaust, power plants, manufacturing plants that produce or use formaldehyde or substances that contain it (i.e. glues), petroleum refineries, coking operations, incinerating, wood burning and tobacco smoke.
This assessment will help EPA and others to determine the level of risk it poses to Americans’ health. EPA undertook this assessment because there have been a number of potentially significant new studies published since EPA’s last review of formaldehyde toxicity.
EPA’s draft formaldehyde assessment will be reviewed by an expert panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences. EPA will consider all public comments on its draft and will use the guidance from the National Academy of Sciences as it completes its IRIS Health Assessment for Formaldehyde.
