5 ms·

The EPA Is Hiding Proof That a Widely Used Chemical Causes Leukemia

86 points by clumsysmurf 8y ago

burke 8y ago
Formaldehyde > “It’s my understanding,” the Massachusetts senator said, “that the EPA has finalized its conclusion that formaldehyde causes leukemia and other cancers and that [the] completed new assessment is ready to be released for public review, but is being held up.”
- anothergoogler 8y ago
  Thanks for saving a click. Should be replaced in submission title.
  - clumsysmurf 8y ago
    The reason why its being held up is the important part.
    - anothergoogler 8y ago
      My point is that the headline is in a clickbait style.
    - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
      The reason is interesting indeed. Replacing "formaldehyde" by "a widely used chemical" is not.
- delbel 8y ago
  you want leukemia, or GMO cotton nematode parasites infection in your head eating your brain with no doctor being able to figure out.
  - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
    Are there any cases of cotton nematodes actually infecting humans? I haven't heard of any.
    - delbel 8y ago
      https://spirodementia.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/pancytokeratin-worm-positive-immunostain-in-alzheimers-brain-with-fluorescent-insert-image.png?w=1000&h= https://spirodementia.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/pancytoker... https://spirodementia.wordpress.com/parasitic-nematode-worms-containing-borrelia-endosymbionts-in-alzheimers-disease/pan-cytokeratin-positive-nematode-worm-in-alzheimers-disease-pc001/ https://spirodementia.wordpress.com/parasitic-nematode-worms...
      - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
        Looking at his CV, Dr. Alan MacDonald seems like a serious scientist (https://durayresearch.wordpress.com/about-2/background/curriculum-vitae-alan-b-macdonald/ https://durayresearch.wordpress.com/about-2/background/curri...), but it seems mainstream medical circles have ignored his revelations so far.
- tilt_error 8y ago
  The citric acid cycle [0] of our cells, a chemical process that creates the energy we need from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe, produces formaldehyde as a byproduct when processing alcohol. This is one reason why alcohol is cancerogenic and possibly the main reason why your body feels weird after heavy drinking. Cheers! :) [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle
throwaway5752 8y ago
Good articles summarizing relationship between formaldehyde and cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893912/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893912/ (nasopharyngeal) and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839060/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839060/ (leukemia)
- lstamour 8y ago
  Also, from the EU: * SCOEL/REC/125 Formaldehyde Recommendation from the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/2882e9bc-d52e-4944-ac08-974b43957ed2/REC-125%20Formaldehyde.pdf https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/2882e9bc-d52e-4944-ac08-974b4... (It's carcinogenic; recommends 0.3ppm or less) * Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety SCCS OPINION ON the safety of the use of formaldehyde in nail hardeners https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_164.pdf https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_s... (Minimal risk if non-occupational, but “in order to reduce inhalation exposure to formaldehyde, the room should be ventilated when applying nail hardeners.“) And: * Do IKEA cabinets have formaldehyde? http://www.ikaninstallations.com/2015/09/22/do-ikea-cabinets-have-formaldehyde/ http://www.ikaninstallations.com/2015/09/22/do-ikea-cabinets... (Answer: Not in the paint or lacquer, and each individual product meets California's standard of 0.05ppm - given the 0.3ppm recommendation above, I'd recommend ventilation if you've a ton of IKEA products, but even so the cancer risk seems minimized...) Also a quote from the parent's link on leukaemia association: "As a naturally occurring metabolite in many living things, formaldehyde is also found at high background levels in many types of food, such as shiitake mushrooms and many types of seafood. There have also been instances of formaldehyde found in fruits, vermicelli noodles, and even beer [Tang et al., 2009]. Thus formaldehyde exposure via food consumption is also a possibility."
cobookman 8y ago
Isn't it widely known that formaldehyde is a known carcinogen? The article mentions it's use in wooden furniture. I believe formaldehyde is used as a glue. So what's the danger? I'd assume it's like leaded paint where it's harmless so long as it's not flaking off.
- ceejayoz 8y ago
  Unlike lead in paint, the formaldehyde in things like furniture is emitted as a gas.
  - cobookman 8y ago
    Only initially. I thought off gassing drastically reduces over time. Most of the time you wear a mask when dealing with high VOC chemicals.
    - ceejayoz 8y ago
      Per https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/formaldehyde/home/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/formaldehyde/home/index.html, "Most formaldehyde is released by 2 years". I'd suspect most furniture makes it into your house in shorter than that timeframe.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
    - maxerickson 8y ago
      Respirator. A mask won't do much of anything about VOCs.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- pmorici 8y ago
  It is used in the glue that binds fiber board and similar low quality “wood” products. The saw dust from fiber board is supposed to be especially toxic which is why they supposedly won’t cut it like they will regular plywood at some home stores.
maxxxxx 8y ago
That's my main complaint about the current administration and a lot of Republicans. I am afraid that their attitude about environmental regulation will cause a lot of damage for a long time and erase progress made over decades. I live close to LA and when you talk to people who lived there in the 70s and 80s and compare it to now there is no way to to view what the EPA and other agencies did as anything other than a huge success for the quality of life in this country. I find it infuriating how the leadership of the EPA is suddenly only lobbyists and scientists get treated with distrust and disrespect.
- slededit 8y ago
  While the EPA certainly has done a lot of great things, they've also been a vector for NIMBYism. Not every cut back of the EPA should be seen as an attempt to return the 60s.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    Then let's address that specific complaint and not just stuff leadership with industry lobbyists.
dev_dull 8y ago
So the US is accused of hiding it, but what does every other country on the planet think?
- pkaye 8y ago
  I was wondering the same thing. Has it been proven in other countries?
- aplummer 8y ago
  It’s regulated in Australia because of the cancer https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/chemical-name/formaldehyde-in-pressed-wood-products https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/ch...
  - pkaye 8y ago
    I've always heard and read it is a carcinogen. For example there was big deal about a flooring retailer importing wood floors with formaldehyde residue from China. By regulated, is it banned in Australia? Or does it just mean restricted uses? Also is there any mention in Australia that it causes Leukemia?
    - lstamour 8y ago
      The same link says it's not banned entirely, but limited to the same limit the EU recommends in occupational settings (0.3ppm): >The current national occupational exposure standard for formaldehyde is 1 ppm 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) and 2 ppm short-term exposure limit (STEL). >The NICNAS report recommends that the occupational exposure standard be lowered to 0.3 ppm TWA and 0.6 STEL based on irritation of the eyes and nose.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
  - perl4ever 8y ago
    It's also regulated in the US - I don't think you should take the current controversy to indicate that it's not. "In 1987, OSHA established a Federal standard that reduced the amount of formaldehyde to which workers can be exposed over an 8-hour workday from 3 ppm to 1 ppm. In May 1992, the standard was amended, and the formaldehyde exposure limit was further reduced to 0.75 ppm." https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/s...
subcosmos 8y ago
Aldehydes are bad, and this is known. They crosslink proteins spontaneously. Aggregating proteins is a major facet of aging. Alcohol is broken town to acetylaldehyde, and this cross-links proteins in the liver and causes cirrhosis, and hopefully not... Liver cancer.

86 points by clumsysmurf 8y ago

Formaldehyde > “It’s my understanding,” the Massachusetts senator said, “that the EPA has finalized its conclusion that formaldehyde causes leukemia and other cancers and that [the] completed new assessment is ready to be released for public review, but is being held up.”

anothergoogler 8y ago
Thanks for saving a click. Should be replaced in submission title.
- clumsysmurf 8y ago
  The reason why its being held up is the important part.
  - anothergoogler 8y ago
    My point is that the headline is in a clickbait style.
  - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
    The reason is interesting indeed. Replacing "formaldehyde" by "a widely used chemical" is not.
delbel 8y ago
you want leukemia, or GMO cotton nematode parasites infection in your head eating your brain with no doctor being able to figure out.
- dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
  Are there any cases of cotton nematodes actually infecting humans? I haven't heard of any.
  - delbel 8y ago
    https://spirodementia.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/pancytokeratin-worm-positive-immunostain-in-alzheimers-brain-with-fluorescent-insert-image.png?w=1000&h= https://spirodementia.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/pancytoker... https://spirodementia.wordpress.com/parasitic-nematode-worms-containing-borrelia-endosymbionts-in-alzheimers-disease/pan-cytokeratin-positive-nematode-worm-in-alzheimers-disease-pc001/ https://spirodementia.wordpress.com/parasitic-nematode-worms...
    - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
      Looking at his CV, Dr. Alan MacDonald seems like a serious scientist (https://durayresearch.wordpress.com/about-2/background/curriculum-vitae-alan-b-macdonald/ https://durayresearch.wordpress.com/about-2/background/curri...), but it seems mainstream medical circles have ignored his revelations so far.
tilt_error 8y ago
The citric acid cycle [0] of our cells, a chemical process that creates the energy we need from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe, produces formaldehyde as a byproduct when processing alcohol. This is one reason why alcohol is cancerogenic and possibly the main reason why your body feels weird after heavy drinking. Cheers! :) [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle

throwaway5752 8y ago

Good articles summarizing relationship between formaldehyde and cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893912/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893912/ (nasopharyngeal) and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839060/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839060/ (leukemia)

lstamour 8y ago
Also, from the EU: * SCOEL/REC/125 Formaldehyde Recommendation from the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/2882e9bc-d52e-4944-ac08-974b43957ed2/REC-125%20Formaldehyde.pdf https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/2882e9bc-d52e-4944-ac08-974b4... (It's carcinogenic; recommends 0.3ppm or less) * Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety SCCS OPINION ON the safety of the use of formaldehyde in nail hardeners https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_164.pdf https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_s... (Minimal risk if non-occupational, but “in order to reduce inhalation exposure to formaldehyde, the room should be ventilated when applying nail hardeners.“) And: * Do IKEA cabinets have formaldehyde? http://www.ikaninstallations.com/2015/09/22/do-ikea-cabinets-have-formaldehyde/ http://www.ikaninstallations.com/2015/09/22/do-ikea-cabinets... (Answer: Not in the paint or lacquer, and each individual product meets California's standard of 0.05ppm - given the 0.3ppm recommendation above, I'd recommend ventilation if you've a ton of IKEA products, but even so the cancer risk seems minimized...) Also a quote from the parent's link on leukaemia association: "As a naturally occurring metabolite in many living things, formaldehyde is also found at high background levels in many types of food, such as shiitake mushrooms and many types of seafood. There have also been instances of formaldehyde found in fruits, vermicelli noodles, and even beer [Tang et al., 2009]. Thus formaldehyde exposure via food consumption is also a possibility."

cobookman 8y ago

Isn't it widely known that formaldehyde is a known carcinogen? The article mentions it's use in wooden furniture. I believe formaldehyde is used as a glue. So what's the danger? I'd assume it's like leaded paint where it's harmless so long as it's not flaking off.

ceejayoz 8y ago
Unlike lead in paint, the formaldehyde in things like furniture is emitted as a gas.
- cobookman 8y ago
  Only initially. I thought off gassing drastically reduces over time. Most of the time you wear a mask when dealing with high VOC chemicals.
  - ceejayoz 8y ago
    Per https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/formaldehyde/home/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/formaldehyde/home/index.html, "Most formaldehyde is released by 2 years". I'd suspect most furniture makes it into your house in shorter than that timeframe.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - maxerickson 8y ago
    Respirator. A mask won't do much of anything about VOCs.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
pmorici 8y ago
It is used in the glue that binds fiber board and similar low quality “wood” products. The saw dust from fiber board is supposed to be especially toxic which is why they supposedly won’t cut it like they will regular plywood at some home stores.

maxxxxx 8y ago

That's my main complaint about the current administration and a lot of Republicans. I am afraid that their attitude about environmental regulation will cause a lot of damage for a long time and erase progress made over decades. I live close to LA and when you talk to people who lived there in the 70s and 80s and compare it to now there is no way to to view what the EPA and other agencies did as anything other than a huge success for the quality of life in this country. I find it infuriating how the leadership of the EPA is suddenly only lobbyists and scientists get treated with distrust and disrespect.

slededit 8y ago
While the EPA certainly has done a lot of great things, they've also been a vector for NIMBYism. Not every cut back of the EPA should be seen as an attempt to return the 60s.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  Then let's address that specific complaint and not just stuff leadership with industry lobbyists.

dev_dull 8y ago

So the US is accused of hiding it, but what does every other country on the planet think?

pkaye 8y ago
I was wondering the same thing. Has it been proven in other countries?
aplummer 8y ago
It’s regulated in Australia because of the cancer https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/chemical-name/formaldehyde-in-pressed-wood-products https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/ch...
- pkaye 8y ago
  I've always heard and read it is a carcinogen. For example there was big deal about a flooring retailer importing wood floors with formaldehyde residue from China. By regulated, is it banned in Australia? Or does it just mean restricted uses? Also is there any mention in Australia that it causes Leukemia?
  - lstamour 8y ago
    The same link says it's not banned entirely, but limited to the same limit the EU recommends in occupational settings (0.3ppm): >The current national occupational exposure standard for formaldehyde is 1 ppm 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) and 2 ppm short-term exposure limit (STEL). >The NICNAS report recommends that the occupational exposure standard be lowered to 0.3 ppm TWA and 0.6 STEL based on irritation of the eyes and nose.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
- perl4ever 8y ago
  It's also regulated in the US - I don't think you should take the current controversy to indicate that it's not. "In 1987, OSHA established a Federal standard that reduced the amount of formaldehyde to which workers can be exposed over an 8-hour workday from 3 ppm to 1 ppm. In May 1992, the standard was amended, and the formaldehyde exposure limit was further reduced to 0.75 ppm." https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/s...

subcosmos 8y ago

Aldehydes are bad, and this is known. They crosslink proteins spontaneously. Aggregating proteins is a major facet of aging. Alcohol is broken town to acetylaldehyde, and this cross-links proteins in the liver and causes cirrhosis, and hopefully not... Liver cancer.