What is

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odour and a strong irritation.

Sources

In offices and residential formaldehyde is widely present in the furniture, in the tissues, in building materials, in tobacco smoke and in many everyday products, as detergents, dyes, disinfectants, plastics, glues and paints.

Legislation/Standards

• In Italy circular n. 57 the 22/06/1983 the Ministry of health, "Uses of formaldehyde – Risks related to possible methods of use " , maximum exposure to formaldehyde limits set as the value of 0,1 living environments and subsistence ppm where urea-formaldehyde foams have been used, offset, chipboard, Cork conglomerates, but also artifacts from sectors other than construction, such as textile, What paper, of paints, the abrasives, carpet, etc...
• More recently the DM10 October 2008 laying down provisions concerning the manufacture, the importation and placing on the market of wood-based panels and artifacts with them made containing formaldehyde. Such products may not be placed on the market if the equilibrium concentration of formaldehyde in the air of the test environment exceeds the value 0,1 ppm (0,124mg/m ³).
• The who designates as indoor air guidance value 0,1 mg/m ³ as the mean concentration of 30 minutes [Who, 2010].
• The European project INDEX [Kotzias, 2005] suggests the value of 30 µ g/m ³ as average in 30 minutes.
• At European level, CEN has issued regulations on the Panel by type. Were treated both the classification of panels based on release of pollutant, both test methods for the analysis of formaldehyde emission (EN13986 rules, En312, EN622-1, EN1084).
• The who has listed as external air connection limit in value of 0, 1 mg/m ³ in 30 minutes ("Air quality guidelines for Europe", Who, 2000).
• THE ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.) has the value Guide for indoor environments of 0,1 mg/m ³ in 30 minutes of exposure, based on irritative effects in susceptible individuals.

Health effects

Irritation of the mucous membranes, the eyes and respiratory tract; conjunctivitis, Asthma contact dermatitis; fatigue, anguish, Migraines, nausea, drowsiness and dizziness. It also possesses mutagenic and carcinogenic potential.

Prevention

Limit the use of products containing formaldehyde; improve ventilation and keep the humidity between the 40 and the 60%. Have in the House plants that help neutralize the formaldehyde such as Boston fern, the areca palm leaves, the ficus, the spatafillo, the dracena.