Environmental Health Criteria 89 Formaldehyde
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Environmental Health Criteria 89 Formaldehyde Please note that the layout and pagination of this web version are not identical with the printed version. Formaldehyde (EHC 89, 1989) INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA 89 FORMALDEHYDE This report contains the collective views of an international group of experts and does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, or the World Health Organization. Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization World Health Orgnization Geneva, 1989 The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) is a joint venture of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization. The main objective of the IPCS is to carry out and disseminate evaluations of the effects of chemicals on human health and the quality of the environment. Supporting activities include the development of epidemiological, experimental laboratory, and risk-assessment methods that could produce internationally comparable results, and the development of manpower in the field of toxicology. Other activities carried out by the IPCS include the development of know-how for coping with chemical accidents, coordination of laboratory testing and epidemiological studies, and promotion of research on the mechanisms of the biological action of chemicals. WHO Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Formaldehyde. (Environmental health criteria ; 89) 1.Formaldehyde I.Series Page 1 of 161 Formaldehyde (EHC 89, 1989) ISBN 92 4 154289 6 (NLM Classification: QV 225) ISSN 0250-863X The World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the Office of Publications, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, which will be glad to provide the latest information on any changes made to the text, plans for new editions, and reprints and translations already available. (c) World Health Organization 1989 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. CONTENTS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR FORMALDEHYDE 1. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1.1. Physical and chemical properties, and analytical methods 1.2. Sources of human and environmental exposure 1.3. Environmental transport, distribution, and transformation 1.4. Environmental levels and human exposure 1.5. Kinetics and metabolism 1.6. Effects on organisms in the environment 1.7. Effects on experimental animals 1.8. Effects on man 2. IDENTITY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ANALYTICAL METHODS 2.1. Identity 2.2. Physical and chemical properties 2.3. Conversion factors 2.4. Analytical methods 3. SOURCES IN THE ENVIRONMENT 3.1. Natural occurrence 3.2. Man-made sources 3.2.1. Production levels and processes 3.2.1.1 World production figures 3.2.1.2 Manufacturing processes 3.2.2. Uses 3.2.2.1 Aminoplastics (urea-formaldehyde resins and melamine formaldehyde resins Page 2 of 161 Formaldehyde (EHC 89, 1989) 3.2.2.2 Phenolic plastics (phenol formaldehyde resins) 3.2.2.3 Polyoxymethylene (polyacetal plastics) 3.2.2.4 Processing formaldehyde to other compounds 3.2.2.5 Medical and other uses 3.2.3. Sources of indoor environmental exposure 4. ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT, DISTRIBUTION, AND TRANSFORMATION 4.1. Transport, and distribution 4.2. Transformation 4.2.1. Special products of degradation under specific conditions 4.2.2. Microbial degradation 5. ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS AND HUMAN EXPOSURE 5.1. Environmental levels 5.1.1. Air 5.1.1.1 Air in the vicinity of industrial sources and in urban communities 5.1.1.2 Emissions from industrial plants 5.1.1.3 Emissions from furnaces 5.1.1.4 Emissions from motor vehicles 5.1.2. Water 5.1.3. Soil 5.1.4. Food 5.2. Indoor air levels 5.2.1. Indoor exposure from particle boards 5.2.2. Indoor air pollution from urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) 5.2.3. Indoor air pollution from phenol-formaldehyde plastics 5.2.4. Exposure to indoor air containing cigarette smoke 5.3. General population exposure 5.3.1. Air 5.3.1.1 Smoking 5.3.2. Drinking-water 5.3.3. Food 5.3.4. Other routes of exposure 5.4. Occupational exposure 6. KINETICS AND METABOLISM 6.1. Absorption 6.1.1. Inhalation 6.1.1.1 Animal data 6.1.1.2 Human data 6.1.2. Dermal 6.1.3. Oral 6.2. Distribution 6.3. Metabolic transformation 6.4. Elimination and excretion 6.5. Retention and turnover 7. EFFECTS ON ORGANISMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 7.1. Microorganisms 7.2. Aquatic organisms 7.3. Terrestrial organisms 7.4. Plants 8. EFFECTS ON EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND IN VITRO TEST SYSTEMS 8.1. Skin and eye irritation; sensitization 8.2. Single exposures Page 3 of 161 Formaldehyde (EHC 89, 1989) 8.3. Short-term exposures 8.3.1. Inhalation studies 8.3.2. Oral studies 8.4. Long-term exposure and carcinogenicity 8.4.1. Inhalation 8.4.2. Dermal studies 8.4.3. Oral studies 8.5. Mutagenicity and related end-points 8.6. Reproduction, embryotoxicity, and teratogenicity 8.7. Mechanisms of carcinogenicity 8.7.1. Reactions with macromolecules 8.7.2. Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation 9. EFFECTS ON MAN 9.1. Sources of exposure 9.2. General population exposure 9.2.1. Sensory effects 9.2.2. Toxic effects 9.2.3. Respiratory effects 9.2.4. Dermal, respiratory tract, and systemic sensitization 9.2.4.1 Mucosal effects 9.2.4.2 Skin effects 9.2.4.3 Respiratory tract sensitization 9.2.4.4 Systemic sensitization 9.2.4.4.1 Allergic reaction following the dental use of paraformaldehyde 9.2.5. Skin irritation 9.2.6. Genotoxic effects 9.2.7. Effects on reproduction 9.2.8. Other observations in exposed populations 9.2.9. Carcinogenic effects 10. EVALUATION OF HUMAN HEALTH RISKS AND EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT 10.1. Evaluation of human health risks 10.2. Evaluation of effects on the environment 10.3. Conclusions 11. RECOMMENDATIONS 11.1. Recommendations for future research 11.2. Recommendations for preventive measures 12. PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS BY INTERNATIONAL BODIES REFERENCES WHO TASK GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR FORMALDEHYDE Members Professor O. Axelson, Department of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden Dr Birgitta Berglund, Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden Professor D. Calamari, Institute of Agricultural Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Milan, Italy ( Vice-Chairman ) Dr Ildiko Farkas, National Institute of Hygiene, Budapest, Hungary Dr V.J. Feron, TNO-CIVO Toxicology and Nutrition Institute, AJ Zeist, Netherlands Dr O.J. Grundler, BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Federal Republic of Germany Professor J.M. Harrington, Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom Page 4 of 161 Formaldehyde (EHC 89, 1989) Dr H.D. Heck, Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, USA Dr R.F. Hertel, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany ( Rapporteur ) Professor F. Klaschka, Department of Dermatology, Clinic and Polyclinic in the Steglitz Clinic of the Free University of Berlin, Berlin (West) Dr Y. Kurokawa, Division of Toxicology, National Institute of Hygienic Sciences, Tokyo, Japan Dr Mathuros Ruchirawat, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Dr A. Schaich Freis, Danish National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen, Denmark Dr A. Shaker, Environmental and Occupational Health Center, Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt Dr J.A.J. Stolwijk, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA ( Chairman ) Dr U. Thielebeule, Bezirks Hygiene Inspection, Rostock, German Demo- cratic Republic Observers Dr J.C. Aubrun, (representing the European Council of Chemical Manu- facturers) Courbevoie, France Dr A. Basler, Federal Health Office, Berlin (West) Dr J.-C. Berger, Health and Safety Directorate, Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg Dr M.A. Cooke, University of Aston, Birmingham, United Kingdom Mr W.R. Gaffey (representing Formaldehyde Institute), Department of Medicine and Environmental Health, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, USA Dr P. Messerer, BASF AG, Occupational Medicine and Health Protection, Ludwigshafen, Federal Republic of Germany Dr M.G. Penman (representing the European Chemical Industry Ecology and Toxicology Centre), ICI, Central Toxicology Laboratory, Macclesfield, United Kingdom Dr N. Petri, BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Federal Republic of Germany Mr V. Quarg, Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Bonn, Federal Republic