Formaldehyde is found in many household items and building materials. It is used as a preservative in medicines, cosmetics, toiletries, and some food containers. It is used in resins used to bond laminated wood panels and wood chips in particle board. It is used as a carrier solvent in textile dyeing and paper products. It is also released as a by-product of combustion, especially from diesel engines. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation was banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1982, though the ban was later reversed.
In new buildings or buildings which have been recently refurbished, formaldehyde levels from furniture and furnishings may be high enough to cause signs of irritation. Good ventilation will ensure that formaldehyde fumes remain at a level at which no symptoms occur.
Airborne formaldehyde acts as an irritant to the conjunctiva and upper and lower respiratory tract. Symptoms are temporary and, depending upon the level and lengths of exposure, may range from burning or tingling sensations in eyes, nose, and throat to chest tightness and wheezing. Acute, severe reactions to formaldehyde vapor - which has a distinctive, pungent odor - may be associated with hypersensitivity. It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the U.S. population, including asthmatics, may have hyperreactive airways which may make them more susceptible to formaldehyde's effects.