So you think the only time you’ll have to worry about formaldehyde is when you rest on the mortician’s table, right? Would it surprise you to learn that those beautiful new kitchen cabinets let off formaldehyde gas for many years to come?
Linda Kincaid with the Examiner.com measured formaldehyde content inside some custom cabinets and vanities and found it to be considerably above the occupational exposure limit of 300ppb. She found that cabinets in two homes had more than 1,000 ppb formaldehyde inside the drawers, off the scale of her meters.
You may be surprised to discover that along with your cabinetry, the flooring, wall finishes, carpeting, shelving and furniture also contain the carcinogen.
And then there are those great cleaning and yes, beauty products, that do not list formaldehyde under the name we recognize. Instead, to put our minds at ease, they use terms such as Formalin, Methanal, Oxymethyline, Urea, 1,3-Dioxetine, Quaternium 15, Methylaldehyde, Methylene Oxide, Formic Aldehyde, Oxomethane Formalin, Phenol Formaldehyde. Even baby products contain these items.
Most of these items use small quantities of dangerous chemicals. The problem comes when we use them for long periods of time. Some bedding contains similar products.
This toxin is in other places we never expect to find it. For instance, those great diet drinks, if left in warm areas, first turn to formaldehyde and then to a chemical in bug spray. Yummy!
Some symptoms of over exposure to formaldehyde would be burning, watery eyes, irritated nose and throat, asthmatic attacks, skin problems, headaches and nausea. These are the short terms symptoms. Long term include cancer and leukemia.
As much as all of us would like to look more youthful, I cannot imagine we would want to be embalmed ahead of time. So what can we do to lessen the problem? Look for the formaldehyde content which should be listed for any building product. If you don’t see it or the salesperson can’t provide it, run, don’t walk to another dealer who can provide it. Or, buy metal cabinets since wood naturally contains formaldehyde. The problem comes in the additional amounts put into the finished products.
Write to anyone using the above mentioned carcinogens in their products and ask they be removed. Look for labels stating “safe for human use or consumption” or ‘safe for pets.”
Check any household furnishings and building materials for the content of these items. See if they are above the 330ppb.
When you buy new items, try to make it at a time of year when you can open the windows and doors to air out the house for a few days.
Check those lotions, shampoos, soaps, sunblocks, toothpastes, etc. for the items listed above. Opt for one that has as few as possible…or use the old standbys such as baking soda and a rinse with hydrogen peroxide for clean teeth. (Do not swallow the hydrogen peroxide.)
Check for books written specifically to avoid all these chemicals in our daily life by giving us multiple uses of the cleaning trinity – vinegar, baking soda, and alcohol. Natural soaps can be made at home or bought at homeopathic sites.
Read, read, read labels. The life you save may be your own.