Do you know what formaldehyde is? You might be familiar with the name, but you might not know what the effects are of exposure to this chemical. From short term exposure you might experience itchy, runny eyes, skin irritation, coughing, wheezing and nausea. The reactions range greatly from person to person and depend on how sensitive they are to the chemical. There are also certain ties between long term formaldehyde exposure and cancer.

While you usually won’t find high rates of formaldehyde in a home, there is a type of insulation that contains formaldehyde known as UFFI, but it is not very commonly used. You’re much more likely to find it in pressed wood used in your furniture, but most of the time, this won’t be enough to give off a significant amount of formaldehyde gas. On average, homes will contain less than 0.03 parts per million of formaldehyde, and this is below the limit where you would usually see health problems.

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