Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant. Little is being done to curb the risk

The Unseen Threat: Formaldehyde in Our Air #

In a world replete with hazardous air pollutants, formaldehyde stands out as a major carcinogen, affecting everyone in the United States. This pervasive chemical not only threatens industrial workers but also seeps into homes, increasing cancer risks for all. Despite four decades of recognition of its toxicity by federal regulators, efforts to limit formaldehyde have been impeded by industries dependent on its use.

This year, potential progress emerged, as the Biden administration took steps towards restricting formaldehyde. However, the agency underestimated its cancer risk, particularly excluding myeloid leukemia from calculations, despite internal scientific consensus. “In the end, they chickened out. It was kind of heartbreaking.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has faced ongoing challenges regulating formaldehyde’s many health impacts, which include asthma, respiratory ailments, and reproductive harms. Attempts to finalize protective measures may stall if regulatory rollbacks occur under new leadership. A history of political resistance has bogged down efforts to mitigate its harms for decades.

First unleashed in the industrial sectors, formaldehyde can be found in everyday products, contributing to its omnipresence in American life. Outdoor air, laden with formaldehyde from various emissions, poses significant cancer risks, sometimes exceeding public health goals by substantial margins. In places like the Los Angeles area, millions are exposed to formaldehyde levels drastically surpassing EPA’s safety standards.

Compounding the outdoor threat is the indoor exposure from household items, making homes critical zones of danger. Formaldehyde levels inside residences often exceed recommended limits, contributing to respiratory issues and increasing lifetime cancer risks by hundreds of cases per million.

Attempts to regulate this chemical date back to the early 1980s. Despite recognizing formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen in 1991, regulatory progress has repeatedly stalled. Studies linking formaldehyde to severe health conditions like myeloid leukemia have encountered political and industrial pushback, further delaying protective actions.

Each administration has grappled with balancing public health against industrial interests, with actions often influenced by political and economic pressures. Recent resistance culminated in the EPA’s hesitance to fully integrate scientific assessments into formaldehyde regulations.

Current geopolitical shifts might jeopardize progress yet again. Past and present influences within the agency, as well as industry lobbying, have significantly shaped the course of regulatory action. The complex interplay of industry-prescribed narratives and regulatory caution suggests a challenging road ahead for those seeking to curb formaldehyde pollution.