How Excess Indoor Formaldehyde Can Affect Health

1. At 0.06–0.08 mg/m³, sensitive groups such as children, pregnant women, and older adults may experience mild wheezing.

2. At 0.1 mg/m³, people may begin to feel discomfort.

3. At 0.3 mg/m³, eye irritation or tearing may occur.

4. At 0.5 mg/m³, exposure may cause nausea, vomiting, coughing, chest tightness, and wheezing; severe exposure may lead to pulmonary edema. At concentrations above 30 mg/m³, immediate shock or death may occur.

Long-term exposure to an affected indoor environment may cause headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and other symptoms sometimes associated with sick building syndrome.

Available information indicates that interior decoration and renovation can impair indoor-air quality and adversely affect health. After moving into a newly renovated home or office, some people report headaches, dizziness, nausea, a dry or sore throat, fever, weakness, and fatigue. Skin disorders, cardiopulmonary problems, and myocarditis have also been reported. Older adults and young children who spend more time indoors may become ill more frequently, and serious long-term exposure may increase cancer risk.

These symptoms may be associated with toxic gases released by interior decoration and renovation materials.