# Health Effects of Formaldehyde

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-effects-of-formaldehyde/60616>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 3, 2001, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-effects-of-formaldehyde/60616 "2001-04-03T12:07:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-effects-of-formaldehyde/60616/1 "2001-04-03T12:07:11Z")

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My wife is exposed to (hopefully low levels of) formaldehyde [formalin, actually] where she works. She’s starting to notice irregularities in her menstual cycle, and she wonders if these are related to formaldehyde exposure. I’ve searched and found [this page from the EPA’s web site](http://www.epa.gov/ttn/uatw/hlthef/formalde.html?) that has a tantilizing bit of information:

[quote]  
Reproductive/Developmental Effects[of formaldehyde]:  
[ul][li]An increased incidence of menstrual disorders and pregnancy problems were observed in women workers using urea-formaldehyde resins. However, possible confounding factors were not evaluated in this study.[/li][li]A study of hospital equipment sterilizing workers did not report an association between formaldehyde exposure and increased spontaneous abortions.[/li][li]Developmental effects, such as birth defects, have not been observed in animal studies with formaldehyde.[/ul][/li][/quote]

A little info, but not a lot. Is anyone aware of a more in-depth resource on the health effects of formaldehyde, particularly with respect to reproductive systems?

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**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-effects-of-formaldehyde/60616/2 "2001-04-03T13:17:57Z")

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From a quick scan of [Material Safety Data Sheets](http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msds/siri/msds/h/q337/q405.html) I’ve seen and additional info found at the [HHMI Lab Safety Program](http://www.hhmi.org/science/labsafe/lcss/lcss43.html), it seems like formaldehyde’s main danger is that it is a carcinogen at high concentration.