All About Formaldehyde

When we hear “formaldehyde,” a lot of us probably think of the liquid preserving frogs awaiting dissection, back in high school. That liquid, called formalin, is a solution of about 40% formaldehyde and 60% water. Formaldehyde is a simple organic compound, consisting of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. At atmospheric temperature and pressure it is a colorless gas with a distinctive, pungent odor. It occurs naturally, though generally at concentrations no higher than 0.03 parts per million (ppm).

Formaldehyde is also manufactured and used for a wide range of products, including adhesives, paints, fabrics, paper products, and even cosmetics. The very first plastic—bakelite, invented in 1905—was a polymerized phenol formaldehyde, and modifications of that compound are still widely used. Formaldehyde is prevalent enough that it rates its own trade association to sing its praises.