Type: Toxin
Name: Formaldehyde (CH2O)
RDA: 0
Importance- to Body:
Toxin: Respiratory, Skin, Eyes, Lungs
Distribution- in Body:
Skin, Respiratory System
Excess Effects:
Vomiting, Watery Eyes, Burning Throat, Skin Irritation, Asthmatic Attacks, Nausea, Headaches, Cancer (still being further researched, shown to cause cancer in lab animals), Organ Damage
Deficiency Effects:
None Listed
Food Sources:
Apples, Bananas, Pears, Cauliflower, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Cod
Environmental/Geographic Sources:
Household Products, Air Fresheners, Cleaning Products, Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, Vehicle Exhaust, Plywood, Glue, Insulation, Lotion, Shampoo, Cosmetics, Soap, Plastic Bottles
Supplemental information:
Can be produced from natural and manmade products, considered very toxic and hazardous air pollutant. Also known as Formalin, Methanal, Methanediol, Formic aldehyde, Methyl aldehyde, Methylene glycol, Methylene oxide
Works Cited:
“ATSDR – Medical Management Guidelines (MMGs): Formaldehyde.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Web. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mmg/mmg.asp?id=216&tid=39
“Formaldehyde.” American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. Web.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html
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| Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name
Formaldehyde | |||
| Systematic IUPAC name
Methanal | |||
| Other names
Methyl aldehyde
Methylene glycol Methylene oxide Formalin (aqueous solution) Formol Carbonyl hydride | |||
| Identifiers | |||
3D model (JSmol)
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|||
| 3DMet | B00018 | ||
| 1209228 | |||
| ChEBI | |||
| ChEMBL | |||
| ChemSpider | |||
| DrugBank | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.000.002 | ||
| EC Number | 200-001-8 | ||
| E number | E240 (preservatives) | ||
| 445 | |||
| KEGG | |||
| MeSH | Formaldehyde | ||
PubChem CID
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| RTECS number | LP8925000 | ||
| UNII | |||
| UN number | 2209 | ||
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| Properties | |||
| CH2O | |||
| Molar mass | 30.03 g·mol−1 | ||
| Appearance | Colorless gas | ||
| Density | 0.8153 g/cm3 (−20 °C) | ||
| Melting point | −92 °C (−134 °F; 181 K) | ||
| Boiling point | −19 °C (−2 °F; 254 K) | ||
| 400 g dm−3 | |||
| log P | 0.350 | ||
| Vapor pressure | < 1 atm | ||
| Acidity (pKa) | 13.27 | ||
| -18.6·10−6 cm3/mol | |||
| 1.85 D | |||
| Structure | |||
| C2v | |||
| Trigonal planar | |||
| Pharmacology | |||
| QP53AX19 (WHO) | |||
| Hazards | |||
| Safety data sheet | MSDS | ||
| GHS pictograms |   
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| GHS signal word | DANGER | ||
| H301, H311, H331, H314, H317, H335, H336, H341, H350, H370 | |||
| P201, P280, P303+361+353, P304+340, <abbr class="abbr" title="">P309+310, P305+351+338 | |||
| NFPA 704 | |||
| Flash point | 64 °C (147 °F; 337 K) | ||
| 430 °C (806 °F; 703 K) | |||
| Explosive limits | 7–73% | ||
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |||
LD50 (median dose)
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100 mg/kg (oral, rat) | ||
LC50 (median concentration)
|
333 ppm (mouse, 2 hr) 815 ppm (rat, 30 min) | ||
LCLo (lowest published)
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333 ppm (cat, 2 hr) | ||
| US health exposure limits (NIOSH): | |||
PEL (Permissible)
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TWA 0.75 ppm ST 2 ppm (as formaldehyde and formalin) | ||
REL (Recommended)
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Ca TWA 0.016 ppm C 0.1 ppm [15-minute] | ||
IDLH (Immediate danger)
|
Ca [20 ppm] | ||
| Related compounds | |||
Related aldehydes
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Acetaldehyde Butyraldehyde | ||
Related compounds
|
methanol formic acid | ||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |||
 verify (what is   ?)
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| Infobox references | |||
Formaldehyde (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula CH2O (H-CHO). It is the simplest of the aldehydes (R-CHO). The common name of this substance comes from its similarity and relation to formic acid.
Formaldehyde is an important precursor to many other materials and chemical compounds. In 1996, the installed capacity for the production of formaldehyde was estimated to be 8.7 million tons per year. It is mainly used in the production of industrial resins, e.g., for particle board and coatings.
In view of its widespread use, toxicity, and volatility, formaldehyde poses a significant danger to human health. In 2011, the US National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen".