M7.8 Topic of Interest

By -
The topic of interest for my literature review is formaldehyde and indoor exposures. 

 Formaldehyde is a common indoor air pollutant found in homes and buildings. It is a colorless gas with a pungent order and can be a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant when exposed. In 2004, formaldehyde has been recognized as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and in 2011, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) followed suit. This chemical is released into the home from indoor sources such as plywood, particleboard, and other wood products used in home construction, furnishings, and consumer products. 

 The federal agency that regulates formaldehyde is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There a a number of acts which attempt to enforce formaldehyde such as:

  • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
  • Clean Water Act
  • Clean Air Act
    • National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
    • Control of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Mobile Sources
The most informative piece was NESHAP (under the CAA) which listed the categories that contain formaldehyde such as:
  • Plywood
  • Vehicle emissions
  • Wet formed fiber glass mat production
  • Mineral wool production
  • Wood furniture manufacturing operations
  • Rubber tire manufacturing
  • Oil and natural gas production facilities 
and so much more!

Other agencies which are taking part in formaldehyde regulation is the California Air Resource Board, the Office of Environmental Heath Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) under the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry (ATSDR), and the California Department of Public Health -- alongside with the Health and Human Services Agency, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the Department of Industrial Relations.

I knew that formaldehyde was in products, but I didn't know the extent to which this chemical affected us. It makes me feel a bit safer that there are many agencies making an effort to regulate this chemical. I also found that the EPA is trying to finalize a new rule which will implement emission standards and other provisions required under the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act. In addition, the rule establishes a third-party certification program for lab testing and oversight of formaldehyde emissions from manufactured and/or imported composite wood products. 

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 16, 2018 at 3:15 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    Your topic sounds very interesting! It sounds like there are many different types of agencies that regulate formaldehyde exposures. I was unaware of the extent that they affected us as well. I am excited to hear more about your topic.
    Best,
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 17, 2018 at 10:07 AM

    Hi Daisy,
    You have a great topic of interest and thank you for providing such detailed information about agencies that are addressing the topic. Formaldehyde is a dangerous chemical and it is important that we are aware of how and where we are exposed to it. I am glad that the EPA and other agencies are working towards limiting exposures and better regulating the chemical. I look forward to learning more about your topic!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

M10.1: Video! - The Workplace

By -
As I think of a workplace, I think about my mother's previous job. It is a job that I do not want her to return to - she was working as a mushroom packager. There were mostly chemical and ergonomic issues that my mom had to face. Every day, she would be exposed to the cleaning chemicals used for rinsing the mushrooms before being packaged. She would also have to deal with the cold temperature when she would be in a freezer for a whole work day. I remember her telling me how she would be working so fast that she would sweat so much it would drench the clothes that were supposed to protect her from the cold. My mom was always on her feet and and her hands always moving, and she would be carrying heavy crates full of mushrooms to fill the orders. I always feared my mom would get a lung problem - she most certainly got feet problems from the intense work routine.  Considering this is the agriculture business, the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls does not seem like it cou...
Read more

M8.3 Pesticides

By -
Image
For my last night's meal I had a chicken sandwich -- comprised of a bun, chicken patty, ketchup, and lettuce - along with a bottled water. I focused on both lettuce and water. I was shocked to see that there were 52 pesticides in our lettuce. The areas I was more concerned about were the probable carcinogens and and hormone disruptors. As someone who tries to eat vegetables, knowing that there are these many chemicals makes me hesitant to buy healthy vegetables. This shows just how different organic food can be for one's health since there aren't (if any) any chemicals impacting overall health. I was also surprised by the bottled water, I expected it to be worse given that there are many chemicals in the plastic container, however it does have less pesticides that finished water. Once again, given that water is needed for survival, I think it's concerning that our water isn't protected even more. In terms of public health, we should be supporting organically, lo...
Read more

M6.4: Industrial Farming

By -
Image
Your thoughts about the vanishing of bees (what else have you heard/seen about this issue?) New information that I learned about bees was that they are key players in roughly 35% of global food production and responsible for 40% of the world's supply for vitamin A and folate. I had already heard that bees were dying out and also heard that if we were to do nothing, the human population would seize to exist since there would be no food available for consumption. One of the reasons that bees die is because of pesticides, specifically herbicides. The herbs/weeds are the target, however the harsh chemicals such as Round-Up fly in the air and impact surrounding plants as well, thus killing bees as they fly to other flowers which they pollinate and try to obtain pollen for their hive.  My significant other's mother and father buy bees so that they can use their honey for mead. They were experiencing the same scenario mentioned in the "Vanishing of the Bees" where the h...
Read more