Federal health authorities have added formaldehyde to a list of known human carcinogens, and said that evidence shows a second common chemical, styrene, most likely causes cancer.
The warnings were included in the most recent update of the Report on Carcinogens issued by the National Toxicology Program, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Formaldehyde is widely used in building materials, such as plywood and particle board, and by mortuaries and hair salons, according to the New York Times.
Styrene used in boats, bathtubs and in disposable plastic cups and plates may also cause cancer to those exposed in occupational settings, but the levels found in consumer products would usually translate to low risk.
Last April, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a warning?that a hair-care treatment, Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, contained unacceptable levels of formaldehyde. According to The Times, Brazilian Blowout and other salon products containing formaldehyde have caused headaches, nosebleeds, burning eyes, vomiting and asthma in exposed workers.
Studies of embalmers exposed to formaldehyde have shown increased incidences of myeloid leukemia and rare cancers of the nose and mouth .
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 told The Times. ?All a reasonable person can do is manage their exposure and decrease it to as little as possible. It?s everywhere.?
To do that, consumers are advised to avoid purchasing items made of pressed wood and checking labels for reduced or no levels of formaldehyde.
Styrene ?is mostly of concern to workers who build boats, car parts, bathtubs and shower stalls. Studies of workers exposed to higher levels of styrene have found increased risks of leukemia, lymphoma and genetic damage to white blood cells.
Cal Dooley, president and chief executive of the American Chemistry Council, a trade association that represents companies that make and use polystyrene and formaldehyde, rejected the report?s conclusions. ?We are extremely concerned that politics may have hijacked the scientific process,? he told the Times.
Some in the industry have promised to continue fighting the report, and will appeal elements of its findings. But some manufacturers already have begun using alternatives to formaldehyde in their products.
Along with formaldehyde and styrene, the 12th edition of the congressionally-mandated Report on Carcinogens lists six other new substances, bringing to 240 the number named as being proven or suspected cancer-causing agents. Formaldehyde and Aristolochic acid, sometimes used in botanicals and herbal remedies, bring to 54 the number of chemical and biological agents classified as known human carcinogens.
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