Formalin is an aqueous solution of the chemical compound formaldehyde.

It typically contains about 40% formaldehyde by volume, and a small amount of stabilizer, usually 10% to 12% methanol. Formalin is used as a disinfectant or anti-bacterial. The formaldehyde in formalin is responsible for its disinfectant properties, while the water helps dilute it, making the solution safer to use. Methanol also helps make the solution safer, as it helps prevent oxidization and polymerization of the formaldehyde, either of which could result in fire or explosion. Formalin is commonly used in aquariums to prevent the growth of bacterial parasites that prey on fish. It is ineffective against other types of parasites, however, including insects, larvae, and fungi. Formaldehyde kills bacteria not by poisoning them, but by dehydrating them, causing the normal fluid in the cells to coagulate, or become rigid. The formaldehyde therefore remains within the living organism rather than being expelled through the liver and kidneys as a typical toxin would be. For this reason, the amount of formaldehyde solution used in an aquarium or pond must be carefully determined to avoid dehydration of the fish.

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What are the main health hazards associated with breathing in formaldehyde solutions?

Formaldehyde solutions can release formaldehyde gas, which is extremely irritating and very toxic if inhaled, posing a very serious inhalation hazard. The amount of gas released depends on the concentration of formaldehyde and other ingredients present in the formulation. The odour of formaldehyde gas can be recognized at concentrations as low as 0.031.9 ppm. It causes mild to moderate irritation of the nose and throat at 0.3-3 ppm. Up to 20% of the population are more responsive and may react acutely to formaldehyde at very low concentrations (0.25 ppm). Exposure to 10 ppm causes severe irritation of the upper respiratory tract, with a burning sensation of the nose and throat. Other effects include coughing, choking and vomiting. Exposure to 50 ppm or higher may lead to inflammation of the lung (pneumonitis) or to a potentially fatal accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Symptoms of pulmonary edema (chest pain and shortness of breath) can be delayed for up to 24 or 48 hours after exposure. In a study of funeral home employees, exposure to 0.25-1.77 ppm formaldehyde produced nose irritation, sneezing, coughing, and headaches in an unspecified number of embalmers. Thirty-three volunteers exposed to 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 ppm formaldehyde (generated from heating paraformaldehyde) for 90 minutes experienced irritation of the nose and throat at all concentrations, with severity increasing with concentration. In a study of 23 students exposed to 0.02-2.7 ppm (cited as 0.02-3.3 mg/m3) and phenol from cadavers, most experienced nose and throat irritation, headache, dizziness, and cough. Of 12 who had post-exposure testing, one showed a significant decrease in pulmonary function. The effects were attributed to the formaldehyde exposure.

No case reports of death from inhalation exposure to formaldehyde were located, but deaths have been observed in animal studies following exposure to concentrations that would produce intolerable irritation.

What happens when formaldehyde solutions comes into contact with my skin?

Formaldehyde solutions are considered corrosive to the skin. However, they have only caused mild to moderate skin irritation in animal studies. There is little human information on the irritancy of formaldehyde solutions, although their potential for irritation is widely accepted. Formaldehyde solutions form corrosive formic acid upon standing. Corrosive materials can cause severe burns, blistering and permanent scarring of the skin. Any skin contact may also involve inhalation exposure. Skin contact with formaldehyde solutions can cause an allergic skin reaction in some people. Refer to skin sensitization under "What are the long-term health effects of exposure to formaldehyde solutions?" below." Formaldehyde solutions may be toxic if absorbed through the skin, based on an unconfirmed animal toxicity value.

Can formaldehyde solutions hurt my eyes?

Formaldehyde solutions are corrosive to the eyes. Corrosive materials can cause severe eye damage with permanently altered vision or blindness. There are several case reports of eye injury occurring when formaldehyde solutions were accidentally splashed into the eyes. Characteristically, formaldehyde eye injuries are immediately painful but can leave the eye looking normal for at least an hour or two after exposure. Over the course of the next 12 hours, very severe eye damage becomes apparent. Formaldehyde gas is also irritating to the eyes. The threshold for mild eye irritation may be as low as 0.01 ppm. Although, continued exposure may result in some acclimatization. Twelve volunteers exposed for 5 minutes to formaldehyde (composition not specified), mixed with other non-irritating pollutants, could detect and react to 0.01 ppm, with 0.2 ppm causing light to medium eye irritation, and 0.6 ppm causing medium to severe irritation. Exposure to 1 ppm formaldehyde gas (generated by heating paraformaldehyde) for 6 minutes caused slight to moderate eye irritation in 27 volunteers. Thirty-three volunteers exposed to 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 ppm formaldehyde gas (generated from heating paraformaldehyde) for 90 minutes experienced irritation of the eyes at all concentrations, with severity increasing with concentration.

What happens if formaldehyde solution is accidentally swallowed (enters the digestive system)?

Formaldehyde solutions are toxic if ingested, based on animal and human information. Ingestion of formalin (37-50% water solutions of formaldehyde; 015% methanol) in accidental, suicidal or homicidal cases has caused corrosive burning of the mouth, throat and digestive tract with vomiting of tissue and blood. Ingested formaldehyde is rapidly converted to formic acid, which can cause metabolic acidosis, and damage to the liver and kidneys leading to jaundice and swelling of body tissues. In severe cases, there may be convulsions, central nervous system depression and death. The fatal dose for formaldehyde in humans is estimated to be about 60-90 mL of formalin (317-475 mg/kg of formaldehyde assuming a 37% solution of formalin and a 70 kg person). The presence of methanol may contribute to the overall toxicity of ingested formalin. Ingestion is not a typical route of occupational exposure.

What are the long-term health effects of exposure to formaldehyde solutions?

Only very limited information is available on the potential effects from long-term occupational exposure to formaldehyde. Mixed exposures and/or low numbers of workers studied limit most of the available studies. Occupational exposure studies indicate that formaldehyde exposure causes temporary reversible decreases in lung function but no long-term effects. There is sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans. There is limited evidence for cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and strong but not sufficient evidence for leukemia (see "Will formaldehyde solutions cause cancer?" " below for more information). Formaldehyde is not a respiratory sensitizer, but can bring on the symptoms of asthma in susceptible individuals, probably due to irritation of the airways. Human and animal studies demonstrate that formaldehyde solutions cause skin sensitization. Nervous system effects have been reported in studies of histology or anatomy technicians exposed to formaldehyde. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn from these studies because of limitations such as concurrent exposures to other chemicals. NERVOUS SYSTEM: Firm conclusions cannot be drawn about the potential nervous system effects of formaldehyde. Neurological impairment was reported in two studies of workers (usually histology and anatomy technicians) exposed to formaldehyde. In all cases, there was concurrent exposure to other solvents including phenol, xylene, chloroform and ethanol. A third study did not show any significant neurological effects in a large group of histology and anatomy technicians.

LUNGS/RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: Occupational exposure studies indicate that formaldehyde exposure causes temporary, reversible decreases in lung function, but no long-term effects. Formaldehyde is considered a probable respiratory carcinogen (see "Will formaldehyde solutions cause cancer?" below). Several studies have evaluated lung function in formaldehyde-exposed particleboard and plywood workers, workers using acid-hardening paints, embalmers, urea-formaldehyde resin producers, medical students and anatomy and histology workers. Exposures to formaldehyde ranged from less than 0.02 ppm to greater than 5 ppm and there were often concurrent exposures to other substances. In most of the studies, exposure caused temporary reversible decreases in lung function, but no long-term effects. RESPIRATORY SENSITIZATION: There is very little convincing evidence that formaldehyde can induce asthma, given the small number of reported cases in relation to the large number of workers potentially exposed to formaldehyde. Only a very few of the reported cases have proven positive in well-conducted bronchial challenge tests. There is generally little correspondence between the presence of formaldehyde-specific antibodies and the occurrence of asthmatic symptoms in exposed people. However, the evidence indicates that formaldehyde can bring on the symptoms of asthma in susceptible individuals, probably through irritation of the airways. SKIN: Long-term exposure to formaldehyde solutions is expected to cause dry, red, irritated skin (dermatitis). SKIN SENSITIZATION: Formaldehyde solutions cause occupational skin sensitization. Once a person is sensitized, contact with even a small amount of a formaldehyde solution can cause outbreaks of dermatitis with symptoms such as redness, rash, itching and swelling. This reaction can spread from the hands or arms to the face and body. Many cases of allergic contact dermatitis have been associated with exposure to formaldehyde solutions. Occupational examples include nurses, funeral embalmers and newsprint handlers. In over 4700 consecutive patients patch tested with an extended standard series of up to 34 chemicals, formaldehyde was the ninth most common cause of allergic reactions, with positive reactions in 3% of the patients. It is estimated that 3-6% of the population responds positively to 2% formaldehyde. Studies in guinea pigs and mice also prove that formaldehyde solutions cause skin sensitization.

Will formaldehyde solutions cause cancer?

Formaldehyde is carcinogenic to humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded there is sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans. There is limited evidence for cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and "strong but not sufficient evidence" for leukemia.

There are many human population studies on the increase of respiratory cancers in people occupationally exposed to formaldehyde. These studies have been extensively reviewed elsewhere and are not reviewed here. Excess numbers of nasopharyngeal cancers were associated with occupational exposure to formaldehyde in 2/6 cohort studies, 3/4 case-control studies, and in meta-analyses. In addition, 2/6 case-control studies indicated a positive association between occupational exposure to formaldehyde and cancer of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses, while 3 were negative and 1 was weakly positive. Cohort studies of embalmers and other professionals who use formaldehyde showed some excess risk for brain cancer. However, this risk did not increase with exposure. There was no increase in risk found for other types of cancer. Some large scale, well-conducted studies have found an association between formaldehyde exposure and leukemia, while others have not. In a recent meta-analysis of the incidence of pancreatic cancer in 14 epidemiology studies, a small but consistent increase was found in studies of embalmers, anatomists and pathologists, but not in industrial workers, who had higher average and peak exposures. The increased incidence may be due to better diagnosis in the first group or to exposures to chemicals other than formaldehyde.

Will formaldehyde solutions cause any problems with my reproductive system?

There is insufficient evidence to determine if formaldehyde causes reproductive toxicity. In a retrospective study of women wood workers, 288 were not exposed to formaldehyde and 235 were subdivided into 119 low, 77 medium and 39 high formaldehyde exposure. Assignment to an exposure category was based on selfreporting verified with measured concentrations from own or a comparable workplace. In the high exposure group, formaldehyde exposure was associated with a longer time to pregnancy and an increased risk for endometriosis. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn from this study due to limitations such as selfreporting bias, the relatively small number of women studied and concurrent exposures to other potentially harmful chemicals. In a study, which is not available in English, menstrual irregularities and higher infertility were reported in female workers exposed to formaldehyde, based on selfreporting and examinations. This study is limited by poorly reported methods, selfreporting biases, no accounting for confounding factors and no definition of infertility. In a Finnish study of the effects of the father's occupation on the rate of miscarriage, formaldehyde exposure was not associated with an increase in miscarriages.

Despite limitations, the few animal studies available do not suggest that formaldehyde exposure will affect fertility.

Will formaldehyde solutions cause effects on the fetus/unborn baby?

The available human and animal evidence does not suggest that formaldehyde is a developmental toxin. There are several human population studies of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women occupationally exposed to formaldehyde. Studies that found significantly higher rates of miscarriages in women occupationally exposed to formaldehyde are all limited by self-reporting of exposures and by the low number of women studied. The larger studies and those that determined formaldehyde exposure by evaluation of work task, have not shown an increased risk of miscarriage. No significant association between formaldehyde exposure and low birth weights (less than 2500 g) was found in 3 human population studies. There are many animal studies that have examined the potential developmental toxicity of formaldehyde. Many of these studies have limitations such as low animal numbers, lack of detailed information on methods, and lack of information on maternal toxicity. Well-conducted animal studies do not show developmental effects in the absence of maternal toxicity.

Will formaldehyde solutions act in a synergistic manner with other materials (will its effects be more than the sum of the effects from the exposure to each chemical alone)?

Several animal studies have exposed animals to formaldehyde in combination with other carcinogens. In some of these studies, formaldehyde enhanced the effect of other carcinogens, causing more tumours or faster tumour growth. Animal studies also suggest that formaldehyde may facilitate respiratory sensitization to other allergens.

Is there potential for formaldehyde solutions to build-up or accumulate in my body?

Formaldehyde does not accumulate. It is a normal intermediate metabolite and is found in all cells. It is very reactive and readily bonds to proteins and nucleic acids. It has a half-life in the blood of about 90 seconds and is rapidly metabolized to formic acid (which is excreted in the urine), converted to carbon dioxide (which is exhaled), or used to synthesize proteins and nucleic acids.

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