Comparative hazard evaluation, an approach to regulation: Formaldehyde in drinking water

Technical Report · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6807791· OSTI ID:6807791

Owen, B A; Dudney, C S; Tan, E; Easterly, C E

Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical that is ubiquitous to the human environment. The estimated 7 billion pounds of formaldehyde produced annually in the US are consumed in a great diversity of manufacturing and processing applications resulting in occupational exposure of more than 1 million workers and in the nonoccupational exposure of 11 million consumers. Exposure to formaldehyde can result in a spectrum of adverse health effects depending on the concentration and route of entry into the body. This report will attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of the available data regarding health effects of formaldehyde exposure, incorporating information on metabolism and biological mechanisms into a framework of comparative hazard evaluation. Integral to this effort will be a comparison of ingestion of formaldehyde in drinking water with ingestion of naturally occurring formaldehyde in foods and other substances generally regarded as safe. The perspective offered by this approach should provide a rational framework enabling regulatory authorities and other concerned individuals to evaluate objectively the potential hazard of ingesting formaldehyde as a low-level contaminant in drinking water. A brief overview will examine the nature of residential exposure to formaldehyde from both air and water sources. A discussion of typical dietary sources of formaldehyde will extend the exposure assessment and provide data for later comparisons. In order to provide a better understanding of the health effects of formaldehyde, an overview of the metabolism and biological effects of formaldehyde, including toxic, teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects will precede discussion of the potential carcinogenicity of formaldehyde in humans. Then, the comparative hazard evaluation will be followed by a summary and conclusion. 161 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOD
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6807791
• Report Number(s): ORNL-6592; ON: DE90012001
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALDEHYDES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARCINOGENESIS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONTAMINATION
DERMATITIS
DISEASES
DNA
DOSES
DRINKING WATER
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FORMALDEHYDE
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INGESTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
LETHAL DOSES
MUTAGENESIS
MUTATIONS
NECROSIS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PERSONNEL
POPULATIONS
REGULATIONS
SKIN DISEASES
TOXICITY
WATER