A service program of RISE St. James; Caitlion O. Neill, Juris Doctor, Class of 2022, Past President, Loyola Environmental Law Society; Tim Schütz, PhD Researcher, Anthropology University of California, Irvine; and The Community Scientist (TCS) Research Team
After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of Louisianans housed in FEMA trailers began to complain of respiratory issues, headaches, and other health problems. Even when faced with reports from their own field agents beginning in 2006, FEMA failed to take action. In fact, a FEMA attorney was on the record saying “Do not initiate any testing. . . . Once you get results and should they indicate some problem, the clock is running on our duty to respond.” It was community organizers and everyday families who pushed FEMA and Congress to finally investigate and take action to give them safe housing. (Unbelievably, these same trailers were later offered as housing for the workers who cleaned up the BP oil spill, despite FEMA knowing they were still so dangerous that they could never be used for housing again.)
But formaldehyde isn’t just in FEMA trailers. It has been used in the construction of wood products, particularly glues that hold together plywood and particleboard, for decades. While US standards have regulated the amount of formaldehyde that can be present in construction materials since the 1980s, most houses still have some low levels of formaldehyde. However, manufactured homes like trailers and mobile homes continue to test high. Cigarette smoke, both inhaled and secondhand, is another major source of formaldehyde. Although the use of formaldehyde in cosmetic products like nail polish and shampoo is decreasing, many cheaper brands continue to use it as a preservative. Formaldehyde is also used to preserve corpses for burial and scientific research.
Children exposed to high levels of formaldehyde have higher rates of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and allergies. A study of plywood workers found that formaldehyde exposure at work can lead to several respiratory symptoms, including cough, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nail technicians and other salon workers are exposed to formaldehyde found in nail polish and nail hardeners. The safest way to reduce risk for cancer is to limit exposure, but it can be easy to miss this stealthy killer. While formaldehyde has a strong, unpleasant, pickle-like odor, it must be present in concentrations of about 500-1000 parts per billion in order for the average person to smell it. Since negative health effects can happen from exposure as low as .06 parts per billion, below what the average person could detect, it is important to understand and detect formaldehyde sources. Inexpensive home tests are widely available at hardware stores or online from Amazon, and can give instant results if you detect a chemical odor or experience headaches from furniture or beauty products.
Formaldehyde likely already contributes to a great amount of cancers in Louisiana. In the St. James Parish census tract 405, where the Fifth Ward Elementary School is located, formaldehyde exposure accounts for 33.89% of the cancer risk for this census tract. According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) emissions data inventory, from 2019-2021 the total reported emissions of formaldehyde from facilities located within a 25 mile radius of the Fifth Ward Elementary School in St. James Parish were around 35 tons per year. If the Formosa Plastics project were built, it would add a quarter more (or 25% more) formaldehyde emissions than already exist (emitting 8.9 tons a year)!
Since 2015, there have been 10 accidental formaldehyde releases at BASF, Hexion Chemical, and Linde in Geismar. These incidents in Ascension Parish alone represent 10% of formaldehyde incidents nationwide, according to National Response Center data.
If existing plants in Louisiana are already unable to control their formaldehyde releases, what makes LDEQ think Formosa Plastics, a company with a proven track record of causing environmental disasters, would be any different?
Despite stronger regulation and some observed decreases in the face of the FEMA trailer tragedy, cancer risk from formaldehyde exposure still remains an issue for nearly everyone in America. Reducing formaldehyde emissions would be an important step toward reducing cancer risk, among other health issues.When we already have to take steps within our own homes to reduce formaldehyde exposure, why should anyone be allowed to emit more into the air and water?
HOW TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR FORMALDEHYDE
Choose nail polish without formalin or formaldehyde (often called 7, 9, or 10-free polish), and if you go to a nail salon, ask about the ventilation inside.
Applying a coating of paint can reduce the formaldehyde emissions or “off-gassing” from walls, cabinets, and furniture. Non-VOC, non-ethylene glycol paint brands include ECOS and Safecoat.
If purchasing wood furniture, look for solid pieces over particleboard. “Reclaimed” wood products are environmentally sound since they do not require harvesting new trees. If you do purchase new plywood or particleboard furniture, place the furniture outside if possible for a few days to allow the formaldehyde to “off-gas”. Placing it inside with strong outdoor ventilation for a few days is a good alternative.
