The government, last Friday added formaldehyde, a substance found in plastics and other commonly used products, to a list of known carcinogens and warned that the chemical styrene might cause cancer.
The report for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spoke of the warnings that people with higher exposure to formaldehyde were more at risk for nasopharyngeal cancer, myeloid leukemia and other cancers. The report read, “There is now sufficient evidence from studies in humans to show that individuals with higher measures of exposure to formaldehyde are at increased risk for certain types of rare cancers ...”
It is known that formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical widely used to make resins for household items, such as composite wood products, paper product coatings, plastics, synthetic fibers, and textile finishes. It also finds use as a preservative in medical laboratories, mortuaries, and some consumer products, including hair straightening products.
The report, produced by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), also added styrene to the list of substances that were reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. Styrene is a synthetic chemical used in the manufacture of products such as rubber, plastic, insulation, fiberglass, pipes, automobile parts, food containers, and carpet backing. The greatest exposure to styrene in the general population is through cigarette smoking, the report added.
Jennifer Sass of the National Resources Defense Council, a U.S. environmental group, praised the government for publishing the report in the face of what she described as pressure by chemical companies to prevent its release. “The chemical industry fought the truth, the science, and the public -- but, in the end our government experts came through for us, giving the public accurate information about the health risks from chemicals that are commonly found in our homes, schools, and workplaces,” Sass wrote in a blog.
John Bucher, associate director of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), emphasized that this report highlights the fact that we need to be aware of what's around us. “This report underscores the critical connection between our nation's health and what's in our environment,” he said in a prepared statement. “We're finding based on empirical evidence that there's uncertainty of the biological basis on how the leukemia is forming. But it's conclusive to add because it fits the criteria from an epidemiological standpoint...The experts that evaluated the studies associating formaldehyde and leukemia laid out a clear narrative,” he said.
“Reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents is something we all want, and the Report on Carcinogens provides important information on substances that pose a cancer risk,” Linda Birnbaum, director of both the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services and the NTP, said in a prepared statement.
Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said that formaldehyde is both worrisome and inescapable. “It’s the smell in new houses, and it’s in cosmetics like nail polish,” he said. “All a reasonable person can do is manage their exposure and decrease it to as little as possible. It’s everywhere.” Consumers can reduce their exposure to formaldehyde by avoiding pressed-wood products or buying only those that are labeled as U.L.E.F. (ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde), N.A.F. (no added formaldehyde) or C.A.R.B. (California Air Resources Board) Phase 1 or Phase 2 compliant.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry group, lashed out at the report, saying it was concerned that politics may have hijacked the scientific process. “Today's report by HHS made unfounded classifications of both formaldehyde and styrene and will unnecessarily alarm consumers,” Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the ACC, said in a statement.
The report also listed aristolochic acids, found in some plants, as a known carcinogen and added the fungicide captafol, some inhalable glass wool fibers, cobalt-tungsten carbide, riddelliine and o-Nitrotoluene to the list of substances reasonably anticipated to be carcinogens. Amount and duration of exposure, and susceptibility to a substance were among the many factors that affected whether a person developed cancer, the report said.
This is the 12th cancer list released by the toxicology program at the National Institutes of Health, and each has been controversial. In 2000, controversy erupted over the ninth report’s listing of secondhand smoke and tanning beds. The 11th report’s listing in 2005 of naphthalene, which is used in mothballs, caused similar concern.
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