Formaldehyde is a colorless chemical that many people recognize by its very pungent odor. It is used for many purposes, including the manufacture of a large number of products that exist in our everyday lives. Perhaps the most well-known use formaldehyde is as embalming fluid, but it is also used in many other industries and in the manufacture of common household and beauty products.
Formaldehyde was just recently declared to be a carcinogen. A recent report issued by the National Toxicology Program states that exposure to formaldehyde causes certain forms of cancer, including nasopharyngeal cancer, sinonasal cancer, and myeloid leukemia. The National Toxicology Program is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and its report now classifies formaldehyde as a substance known to be a human carcinogen. Although the link between exposure to formaldehyde and cancer has been suggested for some time, the report of the National Toxicology Program confirms that it is a known carcinogen that is linked to these types of cancers.
At room temperature, formaldehyde is a gas which enters the body through inhalation, which links exposure to it to cancers of the nose and throat. Many people who work in manufacturing plants or at industrial sites where formaldehyde is used are constantly exposed to formaldehyde vapors. The recently released report of the National Toxicology Program is further evidence for people diagnosed with certain types of cancer that it may be linked to exposures they received in their workplace.
If you, or someone you know, have developed cancer which you believe may be linked to exposure to formaldehyde, please contact us to discuss your legal rights.