Formaldehyde in consumer products

Formaldehyde (CH2O) is a volatile organic compound that:

• is readily soluble in water
• breaks down rapidly
• is produced and metabolised in the human body
• does not accumulate in the human body or environment
• occurs naturally at low levels in many things including plants, smoke and food.

In pure form, even at very low concentrations of below 1 part per million (ppm), formaldehyde is a virtually colourless gas with a pungent odour.

Formaldehyde vapours are flammable, explosive and toxic.

On this page

• Uses of formaldehyde
• Possible hazards
• Monitoring the safety of formaldehyde
• Statistics

Uses of formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is used in:

• manufacturing many materials, such as plastics, foam insulation, fungicides, mirrors, insecticides, petroleum, resins and industrial chemicals
• building materials, such as sheet vinyl flooring, doors, decking
• timber materials, such as MDF, plywood and laminated timber, wall lining and coverings such as wallpaper
• textiles and clothing, such as fabrics, blankets, and clothing finishes designed to gain permanent press and stain resistance
• cosmetics and personal care products, such as cleansers, fingernail varnishes and hardeners, shampoos and conditioners, toothpastes and hair straightening solutions
• household cleaning products, such as carpet and rug cleaners, disinfectants, dish washing liquids, and floor cleaner and polish.

Possible hazards

Exposure to low levels of formaldehyde does not present a health concern but exposure to high levels of formaldehyde can cause adverse health effects including significant sensory irritation, breathing difficulties and allergic contact dermatitis.

Most consumers will not be exposed to levels of formaldehyde that would cause adverse health effects from products such as clothing, cosmetics and manufactured timber products.  However, some individuals are more sensitive than others.  Certain occupations may also expose people to formaldehyde on a regular basis over a long period of time. 

Temporary Skin irritations

Skin rashes can result from exposure to formaldehyde. Symptoms of temporary exposure to formaldehyde vapour will usually disappear quickly, with no lasting effects, once exposure stops.

Allergic reactions

• People have suffered dermatitis after wearing clothing or using cosmetic products that contained high levels of formaldehyde.
• After exposure to formaldehyde in solution form in hair products or in resins used in clothing and textiles, people can become sensitive to formaldehyde and develop on-going allergies.
• People who have become sensitised to formaldehyde may suffer:
• asthma
• contact dermatitis.

Irritation of the nose, eyes, and other adverse effects

Breathing formaldehyde vapour can result in irritation of nerves in the eyes and nose. This may cause:

• burning stinging or itching sensations
• a sore throat
• teary eyes
• blocked sinuses
• runny nose
• sneezing.

In occupational settings where people have significant daily exposure to formaldehyde, for example embalming processes in the funeral industry, they may also suffer:

• headaches
• depression
• mood changes
• insomnia
• irritability
• attention deficit
• impairment of dexterity, memory, and equilibrium.

Cancer

There is an increased risk of rare cancers in situations where people have prolonged, high level exposure to formaldehyde. The United Nations International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) currently classifies formaldehyde as being 'carcinogenic to humans'.

Monitoring the safety of formaldehyde

NICNAS

The Australian National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), the federal regulatory body responsible for industrial chemicals, has assessed formaldehyde. The NICNAS review (PDF) indicates that formaldehyde solutions can induce skin sensitisation at very low concentrations and may elicit a dermatological reaction in individuals who have been sensitised.  The review results relate to exposure of the skin to formaldehyde solution rather than gaseous formaldehyde. Its review notes that the European Union (EU) Expert Group on Sensitisation categorised formaldehyde as a strong skin sensitiser.

In relation to most cosmetics in Australia, the maximum safe limit for free formaldehyde is 0.2 per cent, set through the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (Poisons Standard).  Note: different formaldehyde limits apply for nail hardeners and mouthwashes (5 per cent).  These limits are based on a comprehensive expert risk assessment undertaken by NICNAS.  Cosmetic products that exceed these limits are hazardous and would be non-compliant with relevant state and territory legislation.

ACCC

The ACCC actively monitors the safety of consumer products and has investigated safety concerns arising from the presence of formaldehyde in consumer products from time to time.  A product may be recalled if it may cause injury, does not comply with a mandatory standard or is banned.

In 2007, the ACCC commissioned expert testing for residual formaldehyde content in a broad range of clothing purchased in the Australian market including shorts, shirts, trousers, tops and nightwear for infants, children and adults.  No formaldehyde was detected in any of the garments submitted.  These results were produced by two independent laboratories using the internationally accepted testing standard EN ISO 14184-1:1998 Textiles—Determination of Formaldehyde—Part 1: Free and Hydrolysed Formaldehyde (Water Extraction Method).

In 2010, the ACCC undertook a survey in collaboration with the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) to test formaldehyde levels in a range of cosmetic products.  Of 32 products tested, two were found to have exceeded the safe limits set through the Poisons Standard.  The outcome of the survey resulted in voluntary safety recalls of the two cosmetic products whose formaldehyde levels exceeded the safe limits set through the Poisons Standard. 

The United States Government Accountability Office

On 13 August 2010, the United States Government Accountability Office released a report on formaldehyde in textiles in the United States. This report provides information on what is known about (1) the health risks of exposure to formaldehyde, particularly from clothing, and (2) the levels of formaldehyde in clothing sold in the United States. The Government Accountability Office analysed government reviews and the medical literature, as well as studies on levels of formaldehyde in clothing, and had a sample of 180 textiles--primarily clothing--tested for formaldehyde by an accredited laboratory. While illustrative of formaldehyde levels that may be found in clothing, the test results from the Government Accountability Office's sample cannot be projected to all clothing sold in the United States.

A copy of the report is available from the United States Government Accountability Office website.

Regulations

The ACCC has provided interim, non regulatory reference limits for levels of formaldehyde in various products:

• infants' clothing—30 ppm (parts per million)
• clothing specifically marketed as suitable for people with sensitive skin—30 ppm 
• garments which contact the skin—100 ppm
• other garments or fabrics—300 ppm.

Australian voluntary standards for wood-based products

Two Australian voluntary standards make specific reference to formaldehyde in pressed timber products and include emission limits. These voluntary standards are:

• AS/NZS 1859.1:2004: Reconstituted wood-based panels – Specifications – Particleboard
• AS/NZS 1859.2:2004: Reconstituted wood-based panels – Specifications – Dry-processed Fiberboard.

To gain categorisation as a ‘low-formaldehyde emission’ product, finished pressed-wood products must meet test criteria levels of less than 1ppm formaldehyde.

Most Australian-made particleboards and dry-processed fibreboards now meet these requirements and are ‘low-formaldehyde emission’ products.

Improvements in manufacturing and resin technologies, particularly the use of lignin-based adhesives, have also helped manufacturers reduce formaldehyde emissions.

The use of low formaldehyde emission products in newly constructed transportable homes and offices should ensure that indoor air concentrations of formaldehyde from manufactured timber sources do not exceed 50 ppb (parts per billion).

Statistics

• 28 million tons of formaldehyde solution was consumed across the world in 2006
• more than 1 million European Union workers are exposed to some degree of formaldehyde
• an estimated 1.2 to 2.3 per cent of USA eczema sufferers have dermatitis caused by textile formaldehyde resin.