Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that can be carcinogenic to humans, and is a common additive to building materials and household products. Formaldehyde is also formed in the environment upon oxidation of a variety of hydrocarbons, including natural gas (methane). Symptoms of exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde may include headache, nausea, throat and skin irritation, and exacerbated chemical sensitivity. For a quick summary of formaldehyde exposure basics, please see the ASTDR’s ToxFAQs for Formaldehyde. For much more in-depth information, please see the ASTDR’s Toxicological Profile for Formaldehyde.
In Public Lab, we’ve been exploring low-cost methods for monitoring airborne concentrations of formaldehyde and low-cost methods for mitigating exposure to it.
Formaldehyde projects
Projects related to formaldehyde monitoring and exposure mitigation can be found on the following wikis.
Low-cost monitoring of airborne formaldehyde using colorimetric tubes: https://publiclab.org/wiki/formaldehyde-test-kit
Low-cost monitoring of airborne formaldehyde using a passive badge sampler and smartphone app: https://publiclab.org/wiki/smart-form
Personal exposure to formaldehyde (and information about exposure): https://publiclab.org/wiki/formaldehyde-exposure
Low-cost remediation or airborne formaldehyde: https://publiclab.org/wiki/diy-indoor-air-quality-remediation-kit
Current formaldehyde research in Public Lab
Follow active development on the tag 'formaldehyde.'
You can also subscribe to to the formaldehyde tag to get email updates when a research note, wiki, or question gets tagged as related to formaldehyde.
Questions in Public Lab related to formaldehyde
| Title | Author | Updated | Likes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Are there any other professional instruments that measures different VOC besides PID (photoionisation detector)? | @stevie | almost 5 years ago | 0 | 5 |
| What happens if I inhale too much formaldehyde? | @liz | almost 6 years ago | 2 | 2 |
| My VOC readings are maxing out at 9.99mg/cubic meter. Is there a better instrument? | @liz | about 6 years ago | 2 | 2 |
| Formaldehyde levels | @Ag8n | almost 7 years ago | 1 | 5 |
Activities to try in Public Lab related to formaldehyde
| Purpose | Category | Status | Author | Time | Difficulty | Replications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Test of DIY formaldehyde testing and remediation kit | - | - | @nshapiro | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Build a plant-based air purifier | build | in-progress | @nshapiro | 3h | easy | 6 replications: Try it » |
| Snake Plant Air Remediation Build & Partial Teardown | - | - | @jfrankamp | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Building Snake Plant Air Remediation kit in Bangalore, India | build | in-progress | @deeptalaxmibharadwaj | 3h | easy | 0 replications: Try it » |
Activities should include a materials list, costs and a step-by-step guide to construction with photos. Learn what makes a good activity here.