Formaldehyde Declared Carcinogen By International Cancer Agency

By Rachael Myers Lowe

(September 1, 2004) A group of 26 cancer experts brought together by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has studied existing research and decided that formaldehyde can cause cancer. The IARC’s findings are published in the September issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.

Formaldehyde is perhaps best known as an embalming chemical used by funeral home workers and pathologists but most of the formaldehyde produced in the US is used in building materials.  It’s used in the manufacture of wood products, textiles, foam insulation, and plastics.

People who work around the chemical formaldehyde, the working group concludes, face an increased risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer. The nasopharynx is located at the top of the throat behind the nose. The association between occupational formaldehyde exposure and myeloid leukemia is not conclusive, the group reports.

The IARC working group noted that several studies have shown increased nasopharyngeal cancer among American industrial workers exposed to formaldehyde on the job. It’s unlikely, the group concludes, that unknown factors or study biases could account for all the positive findings.

The evidence was not as convincing in establishing a cause and effect relationship between formaldehyde and myeloid leukemia. Previous studies have shown an increased incidence of leukemia among embalmers and others who handle formaldehyde but not among industrial workers.  Recent updates however have shown more leukemia cases among chemical industry workers leading the working group to conclude that there is a “strong but not sufficient evidence of a causal association between leukemia and occupational exposure to formaldehyde.”

People who work closely with formaldehyde should wear protective gear including a chemical fumes hood, full-face visor, rubber apron, and thick rubber gloves.

The Environmental Protection Agency has classified formaldehyde a probable human carcinogen.

For more information about formaldehyde, visit the National Cancer Institute’s Fact Sheet.