ATSDR and CDC Analysis Finds Possible Health Effects Associated with Formaldehyde in Select Laminate Flooring

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) analysis of data from an investigation led by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that formaldehyde levels observed in select laminate wood flooring products could cause short-term irritation for people in general and in some cases exacerbate asthma.  The risk of cancer associated with long-term exposure to the observed formaldehyde levels is considered extremely small. Previous studies have shown that elevated formaldehyde levels decrease within one to two years of installing products that release formaldehyde into a home.

The results of the investigation have been published in a report:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/laminateflooring/default.html

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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