Don’t get Embalmed Well – Stay away from Formaldehyde
The building industry commonly uses composite wood products (forexample pressed board or particle board) when constructing kitchen and bathroom cabinets. These wood goods are treated with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can be utilized in the manufacture of hardwood plywood paneling and carpet padding. Throughout the 70’s, many homes were insulated with urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI). This practice was discontinued when the dangers of the high amount of formaldehyde in this system were known. Fortunately for those that also reside in homes insulated with UFFI, formaldehyde is just a volatile organic compound (VOC) this means it turns into a gas upon connection with air. After 30 years, all of the formaldehyde in the UFFI in attics around the world has dissipated.
But what about the formaldehyde that is lurking in your home? Is it a problem? Formaldehyde could cause an itchy or burning throat, a dried cough, irritation to the nose and 除甲醛 eyes as well as asthma attacks. It could cause dizziness, rashes, or chronic fatigue.
The personal care and cosmetics industry also likes formaldehyde. Browse the label of your chosen nail polish or hardener/strengthener. You will dsicover it prominently listed. Also, look for the name Quaternium-15. This indicates the current presence of formaldehyde. You can find it in shampoos, hair spray, sunscreen, and even air fresheners.
Did I mention that formaldehyde is utilized in embalming? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the main World Health Organization, has designated formaldehyde as a known cause of several forms of throat and nasal cancer.
So how do you prevent the dangers of formaldehyde? Well for wood products, enquire about the content when you buy. Avoid products with urea-formaldehyde in them. You are able to always substitute exterior grade plywood for particle board. Urea-formaldehyde is not utilized in exterior products. If you already have pressed board and particle board in your cabinets, you can seal them with a couple of thin coats of polyurethane.
Keep good air movement to hasten off-gassing. There is an air cleanser made by Austin Air just for removal of formaldehyde. It is called the HealthMate Plus. In addition to formaldehyde, it will even remove dust and other particles as small as .3 microns.
Read labels of your own personal care and household cleaning products. Avoid formaldehyde and Quaternium-15. There are several brands of soy-based household cleaners available on the market which can be formaldehyde-free. I such as the Enviro-Rite line by Bioforce Envirotech. Choose your own personal maintenance systems carefully. Pharmaceutical Specialities comes with an entire line of skin and hair maintenance systems for people with sensitive skin and they contain no formaldehyde or parabens and Tom’s of Maine makes deodorant and toothpaste without formaldehyde.