Table 1 Hazardous effects of formaldehyde [2, 4, 6, 16, 25]
From: Concentration and formation behavior of naturally occurring formaldehyde in foods
| Interactions | Possible health hazards |
|---|---|
| Ingestion |
Excessive ingestion can cause Severe pain with inflammation, ulceration and necrosis of the mucous membranes lining almost every internal organ Nausea Vomiting blood Diarrhea with bloody stool Blood from urine Gastrointestinal lesions Acidosis Vertigo and circulation failure Systemic effects include Metabolic acidosis CNS depression and coma Respiratory distress Renal failure Liver failure Cancer and tumor development and Irreversible neurotoxicity |
| Inhalation |
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have characterized formaldehyde as a human carcinogen based on studies of inhalation exposure in humans and laboratory animals. Formaldehyde has been linked to Nasopharyngeal cancer Gastrointestinal cancer and Possible links to brain cancer and leukemia |