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hardeners and nail polish, and as the wet-strength material
added to sanitary paper products such as facial tissue, table
napkins and roll towels. Production of formaldehyde resins
accounts for more than half of formaldehyde consumption.
Other formaldehyde derivatives include methylene diphenyl
diisocyanate, an important ingredient of polyurethane paints
and foams. Formaldehyde has been found as a contaminant
in several bath products, at levels from 54 to 610 ppm; it is
thought to arise from the breakdown of preservatives in the
products. Since 2006, formaldehyde (methylene glycol) is also
used in hair smoothing treatments in order to straighten
wavy/curly hair and make hair less prone to frizz in humid
weather. OSHA Oregon has reported these treatments as
unsafe for human health.
An aqueous solution of formaldehyde can be useful as a
disinfectant as it kills most bacteria and fungi, including their
spores. Formaldehyde solutions are applied topically in
medicine to dry the skin, such as in the treatment of warts.
Urinary tract infections are often treated with a derivative of
formaldehyde (methenamine), a method often chosen
because it prevents overuse of antibiotics and the resultant
development of bacterial resistance to them. Some topical
creams, cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain
derivatives of formaldehyde as the active ingredients that
prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
A 1988 Canadian study of houses with urea-formaldehyde
foam insulation found that formaldehyde levels as low as
0.046 ppm were positively correlated with eye and nasal
irritation. A recent review of studies has shown a strong
association between exposure to formaldehyde and the
development of childhood asthma. Chronic exposure at higher
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