Formaldehyde Found in Allentown, Pa

Alexis Moyer

Allentown is a city in Lehigh County, located an hour and a half from the city of

Philadelphia. Allentown is known to be a very populated city in Pennsylvania and is also known

for being home to many big companies and industries, including Geo Specialty Chemicals

Trimet Products Group.

Geo Specialty Chemicals Inc. is a company found throughout the United States and

supplies specialty chemicals to customers. Some of the things sold by this company is water

treatment, coating and resin additives, dispersants, and synthetic rubber polymerization. Along

with producing many necessary chemicals, GEO is a main producer of the formaldehyde found

in the air in Allentown, Pa.

Figure 1: Top 10 chemicals found released in Allentown, Pa

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, odorous gas, used to make resins, which are

used in building materials (insulation materials, glues, plywood, etc.) and clothing fabrics, along

with being used for synthetic fibers. It is found in smoke that is produced from tobacco or the

burning of fuels. This chemical is also used to preserve bodies and is used as a disinfectant for

industrial processes.
 There are many ways that formaldehyde can be absorbed, including through the skin and

lungs and GI tract. However, it is only harmful at high concentrations because it is hard to break

down that much formaldehyde to be excreted in urine. It is typically broken down to sodium salt

or sometimes further to carbon dioxide and water. When it is absorbed in the blood stream it is

processed into formic acid and is excreted through urine. When it cannot all be excreted, acidosis

and tissue damage can occur within the body.

This chemical can affect many organs, including the skin, kidneys, brain, liver, and

spleen. It can also cause DNA to bind to each other and cause change in the cells of the

following organs.

Odor detection, 0.05-1.0 ppm; Eye irritation, 0.01-2 ppm; Upper respiratory tract

irritation (e.g., irritation of the nose or throat), 0.10-11 ppm; Lower airway irritation (e.g., cough,

chest tightness, and wheezing), 5-30 ppm; Pulmonary edema, inflammation, pneumonia, 50-100

ppm; Death >100 ppm. These amounts are also dependent on how often one is exposed to

formaldehyde. For those that come into contact with it daily, the amount needed for death is

probably more than those that do not experience high amounts of it every day. Also effects on

females are much more severe, given that it can affect their menstrual cycle and their ability to

get pregnant and carry the baby full term.

When humans come into contact with formaldehyde, through inhalation, direct contact

with the skin, or ingestion, it can have many effects, including cancer and respiratory problems.

Since formaldehyde is considered a carcinogen, it can cause different types of cancer, including

nasopharynx and sinonasal cancer and leukaemia. This chemical also effects the gastrointestinal

and respiratory systems in human’s bodies. It can cause inflammation, ulcers, and vomiting in

the gastrointestinal system and inflammation in the lungs, effecting the amount of exchange
between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Also, when formaldehyde comes into contact with your

eyes or skin, there can be irritation, itching, and even impaired vision. Being lightheaded,

dizziness, and incoordination are also symptoms of people that were exposed to formaldehyde in

the air.

Formaldehyde is easily soluble in water; however, it also is released from water as a gas.

It is also produced throughout the body in small amounts (2.5 ppm) and has a short half-life of

1.5 minutes. The normal adult human liver detoxifies 22 mg of formaldehyde/min into carbon

dioxide. In the body, formaldehyde is converted into carbon dioxide by the formate pathway and

exhaled. The formate pathway catabolizes formaldehyde into formate, then into CO2 to be

exhaled.

To prevent the severe effects of formaldehyde poisoning, there are safeguards we can

take. When using formaldehyde, use gloves, goggles, aprons, and other protective gear for your

skin. Also, since formaldehyde is found within our homes, we need to make sure the humidity

level is low and there is ventilation going through the house. Lower levels of formaldehyde are

found on phenol resin, when compared to urea resins. Also protective measures have been taken

to keep workers from being exposed to too much formaldehyde.

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