Dangers Of Breathing In Formaldehyde From Gym Mats

The experiment showed that constant high amount of formaldehyde exposure could develop nosecancer in rats.

Dangers of breathing in formaldehyde from gym mats. At the gym practice good hand hygiene bring your own equipment when possible and disinfect any communal weights or mats you may use. The safety of flooring products has been getting lots of attention since a 60 minutes report earlier this year said that laminate wood flooring imported from china by lumber liquidators contained dangerous levels of the toxic chemical formaldehyde. Environmental protection agency says that formaldehyde may cause cancer after years of exposure and one of the most common ways that this chemical is released into a home is through wood flooring products. Where is formaldehyde found.

Formaldehyde exposure to the skin can cause irritation and may burn the skin. These health effects can happen in anyone but children older adults and people with asthma and other breathing problems are more likely to have these symptoms. The colorless gas has a strong suffocating aroma that some describe as pickle like but not in an appetizing way. If your floor is being finished by a professional and it s possible for you to leave the home it s best to stay away long enough for the finish to cure and the odor to disperse which usually takes about 48 hours.

You may not know formaldehyde when you see it but you d probably know it by its smell. When kids play on the floor they are exposed just as much as if it s in the. It has been commonly used in home products for decades in everything from certain types of wood flooring to. An experiment on rats was held in 1980 to observe the effects of formaldehyde exposure.

According to the occupational health and safety agency for healthcare in british colombia long term exposure to formaldehyde can result in skin sensitization and is associated with an increased risk of cancer 1 3. The flammable chemical is widely used in a variety of home building products and as a preservative in medical laboratories cosmetics and yes mortuaries. There has been several studies of formaldehyde effects on human s health but resulting in diverse conclusions. A few years ago the cdc found that the formaldehyde levels in some laminate flooring from lumber liquidators manufactured between 2012 and 2014 could cause irritation and breathing problems.

Formaldehyde is an ever present colorless gas that can give off a pickle like smell. So unlike formamide studies have found formaldehyde to pose a safety risk in flooring when the levels are high enough. To minimize the dangers of polyurethane vapors always apply the finishes in a well ventilated space wear a face mask and eye protection and don t smoke. As levels increase some people have breathing problems or irritation of the eyes nose throat or skin from formaldehyde exposure in their homes.