Formaldehyde is a building block of resins and other materials used in the construction industry. It also has minor uses in agriculture, in concrete and plaster additives, cosmetics, disinfectants, fumigants, photography, and wood preservation. It has a strong odor but in concentrations low enough to be undetectable it can still be dangerous. Formaldehyde is easily absorbed through the skin or the lungs in part because it is absorbed quickly by water.

Controlling Formaldehyde in the work environment is an important consideration because of its common use and its effect on people, even in low concentration. More than 30 millions tons are produced every year, which is used in materials that we interact with on a daily basis. Risk of exposure is the focus of a number of government agencies.

The action level, which is the industry standard trigger for increased worker medical surveillance, is 500 ppb when calculated using the EPA method of an 8-hour Time Weighted Average. Medical studies have shown an increased cancer risk with exposure to concentrations as low at 100ppb. The ability to monitor and control this toxic chemical is a high priority for assuring that a workspace is healthy.

Formaldehyde issues are largely a result of construction or a containment being used or brought into a space. Once the containment has been identified, it should be removed from the space and outside ventilation should be increased to remove any remnants of the source’s containment in the space.

Formaldehyde belongs to a generic group of similar compounds called Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). The problem is that there are many kinds of VOCs, some completely safe and benign, and some very toxic. A VOC can be the alcohol in a cocktail, or the active ingredient in nail polish remover, but the Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC) sensors can not distinguish these other compounds uniquely from Formaldehyde, it can only sense all of them. WellStat uses a sensor specifically designed for and calibrated to Formaldehyde, in addition to a TVOC sensor. Our Formaldehyde sensor is sensitive enough to give accurate readings at 100ppb and lower to support readings consistent with emerging health and safety information.