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Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels.  High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma.

This report highlights the high levels of formaldehyde being released from baby furniture. Due to the number of new products typically found in new babies’ rooms, these rooms can have the highest levels of this chemical in the house. Download: Toxic Baby Furniture 

Due to lax regulations on the levels of formaldehyde allowed in building products, the trailers provided by FEMA to victims of Hurricane Katrina, had unhealthy levels of formaldehyde leaching into the air in the trailers. This article describes some of the issues encountered with the trailers.