Fetalvero: Formaldehyde dangers

SEVERAL years ago, there was this elderly lady whose skin condition was considered alarming by her children.Although it was normal for a senior citizen to have wrinkles, her condition was more serious as her skin was extremely dry. The children had their mother examined by medical experts.

The result of the laboratory test worried the children. The aging woman had very high levels of formaldehyde in her body. Upon investigation, it was found that she was a “suki” (frequent customer) to an ambulant vendor selling street food like squid ball, fish ball and tempura.

The Food and Drug Administration conducted a test on the food being sold by the said vendor. High levels of formaline were discovered as the chemical was used as a preservative.

Latest reports of the presence of formaline in imported “galunggong” (breed of fish) from Vietnam prompted me to research on the effects of formaldehyde or formaline in human body.

The American Cancer Society’s website has a voluminous information on the chemical. Formaldehyde is commonly used as industrial disinfectant and as a preservative in funeral homes by an embalmer and in medical laboratories. It can also be used as a preservative in some food and in products such as antiseptic, medicine and cosmetics. The chemical has likewise been found in soaps, shampoos, lotions, sunscreens and cleaning products.

Tobacco smoke, shower gels, some fingernail polishes and pressed-wood products have formaldehyde. Automobile exhaust is a major source of formaldehyde in outdoor air. Using invented fuel-burning appliances such as gas stoves, wood-burning stoves and kerosene heaters can also raise formaldehyde levels indoors.

The American Cancer Society reported that the main way people are exposed to formaldehyde is by inhaling it. The liquid form can be absorbed through the skin. People can also be exposed to small amounts by eating food or drinking liquids containing formaldehyde.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States maintains the Integrated Risk Information Systems, an electronic database that contains information on human health effects from exposure to various substances in the environment. The EPA has classified formaldehyde as a “probable human carcinogen.” Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in America have concluded that based on data from studies in people and from lab research, exposure to formaldehyde may cause leukemia and cancer of the nasopharynx.

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