FORMALDEHYDE
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low), and Occupational hazards (high)
Cancer 

Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity 

Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity 

Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
nail polish | 4 products |
nail treatment | 4 products |
eyelash glue | 1 products |
nail glue | 1 products |
hair treatment/serum | 1 products |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Known human respiratory toxicant | EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants |
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at low doses | EPA Categorized List of Inert Pesticide Ingredients |
Classified as toxic or harmful | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Cancer
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Known human carcinogen | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Known human carcinogen | NTP Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition |
Possible human carcinogen | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
Possible human carcinogen | California EPA Proposition 65 |
Possible human carcinogen | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | NIOSH Occupational Carcinogens |
Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Use restrictions
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Violation of government restrictions - Banned or found unsafe for use in cosmetics | CosIng |
Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use in products intended to be aerosolized, according to industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | CosIng |
Recommendation to minimize use in cosmetics - Keep concentration to minimum: warning from industry safety panel | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Occupational hazards
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Human immune and respiratory toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics |
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Limited evidence of skin irritation | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Ecotoxicology
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
55688 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Miscellaneous
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Informational
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Not safe for use in products intended to be aerosolized, according to industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
Concern | Reference |
---|---|
Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data Sources
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005. Office of Air. The 112(b)1 Hazardous Air Pollutants List (as modified). Last modified: 12 Dec 2005.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1987 & 2005. Office of Pesticide Programs. Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients in Pesticide Products - Categorized List of Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients.
- CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures).
- NTP (National Toxicology Program). 2005. Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines.
- California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
- ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) 2008. ACGIH cancer classification system. www.acgih.org.
- NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). 2006. NIOSH Carcinogens List (Potential occupational carcinogens). http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npotocca.html.
- European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ .
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
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