Safety and Health Topics: Formaldehyde

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	Formaldehyde
	Exposure Evaluation

Formaldehyde exposure is most common through gas-phase inhalation. However, it can also occur through liquid-phase skin absorption. Workers may be exposed during direct production, treatment of materials, and production of resins. Health care professionals; pathology and histology technicians; and teachers and students who handle preserved specimens are potentially at high risk. Consumers may receive exposures from building materials, cosmetics, home furnishings, and textiles. The following references provide information about the management of occupational exposures to formaldehyde.

Dermal Exposure. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses dermal hazards to chemicals that can cause dermatitis or otherwise damage the skin, as well as to chemicals that can enter the body through intact skin and cause other toxic effects.
Druzik, Cecily M.G. "Formaldehyde: Detection and Mitigation." Western Association for Art Conservation (WAAC) 13.2(1991, May): 13-16. Discusses detection of low ppb levels of formaldehyde in museum atmospheres.

Medical Management

Medical Management Guidelines for Formaldehyde (HCHO). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Includes routes of exposure, health effects, prehospital and emergency department management, as well as patient information.
- Patient Information Sheet. Provides information for persons who may have been exposed to formaldehyde gas or solution (formalin).

Sampling and Analysis

Formaldehyde. OSHA Chemical Sampling Information. Provides a summary of physical and chemical properties, health effects, and sampling and analysis procedures. Sampling Information for aldehydes in general is also available.
Acrolein and/or Formaldehyde. OSHA Method 52, (1989, June). Includes validated sampling and analysis method for the determination of formaldehyde in workplace air.
Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1994, August 15). NIOSH has developed the following methods for the determination of formaldehyde.
- Formaldehyde: Method 2016. 176 KB PDF, 7 pages.
- Formaldehyde by GC: Method 2541. 29 KB PDF, 5 pages.
- Formaldehyde by VIS: Method 3500. 31 KB PDF, 5 pages.
- Formaldehyde on Dust (Textile or Wood): Method 5700. 30 KB PDF, 5 pages.
Sampling and Analysis. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Provides chemical sampling and analysis information to aid occupational health and safety professionals to assess workplace contaminants and associated worker exposures.

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Content Reviewed 05/04/2006

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