Detect Airborne Hazards Using ChemSee Dosimeters

STEL-Formaldehyde dosimeter. Formaldehyde is a major industrial chemical. Approximately six billion pounds of formaldehyde (37%) per year are produced in the United States. Because of its high degree of reactivity, it is used in a wide variety of chemical reactions. As a result, it enters into the manufacturing of many industrial and consumer products, ranging from plastics to building components, from clothing to cosmetics. Formaldehyde's fungicidal and bacterial properties have led to its use in the medical industry. Quite clearly, exposure to formaldehyde is a daily certainty in our society. Therefore, exposure must be monitored to assure the existence of safe working and living conditions. Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent gas at room temperature. It may be detected in air, by odor, at concentrations as low as 1 ppm. As a major industrial chemical, it ranks 24th in production volume in the United States. It is present in vast amounts in our work environments, structural materials, clothing, etc. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has accumulated mounting evidence that repeated or long-term exposure to formaldehyde can bring about medical and physiological disorders. In 1987 OSHA concluded the following: 1. Formaldehyde should be regarded as an occupational carcinogen. Repeated or prolonged exposure increases the risk of several types of cancer. 2. Formaldehyde is toxic by inhalation or ingestion. 3. Formaldehyde is irritating to the eyes, respiratory system, and skin. 4. Inhalation of formaldehyde causes or exacerbates asthma. 5. The permissible exposure limits are 1 ppm as measured on an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) and 2 ppm as a 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL). Appropriate action should be taken at the 0.5 ppm level.