Your kitchen and formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a cheap glue used widely in chipboard, plywood and pressed panels.  Conventional kitchen cupboards and worktops contain formaldehyde, with the following health risks: skin / respiration / eye irritant and  proven to cause cancer in animals. Health risks are generally after exposure over a long period of time, depending on the concentration level.  If you suffer with chemical sensitivities, breathing difficulties or asthma, formaldehyde can make the symptoms worse.  Adhesives are also petrochemical & solvent based, making them non renewable resources. 

Prevention of exposure is the best idea for your health, by reducing the amount of formaldehyde in the home.  Non mechanical, natural, fresh and constant ventilation is important to help keep the concentration levels lower.  Plants that absorb some interior toxins are; rubber plant, spider plant, ivy, Christmas cactus and mother-in-law’s tongue/snake plant.  Plants that help with formaldehyde are; areca rubber plant, spider plant, palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, date palm, and the peace lily. 

With few ‘off the shelf’ kitchen manufacturers producing formaldehyde free cupboards (carcass material, fillers and mouldings), a new kitchen can be a toxic nightmare.  Conventional worktops such as laminated or melamine also contain formaldehyde based adhesives.  Sometimes there isn’t any alternative to buying a conventional kitchen, however this puts you, your family, the manufacturing operative and the kitchen fitter’s health at risk from exposure to the various chemical components in the chipboard.  If you renovate your kitchen, cut the worktop or kitchen cupboards, this releases higher concentration level of toxins / particles, much larger in size than VOC vapours. 

Currently in Ireland unless you buy a solid timber kitchen (be careful with the finishes), or specify formaldehyde free board, you’ll be bringing freshly manufactured toxins into the home.  Formaldehyde is one of the commonly known volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adding to poor indoor air quality as it offgasses into the interior air over the whole life span.   A known danger to health, that isn’t advertised enough!

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