Formaldehyde Workshop
EPA is currently revising its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of formaldehyde. This assessment addresses both noncancer and cancer human health effects that may result from chronic inhalation exposure to this chemical. To facilitate discussion of several scientific issues pertinent to the assessment, EPA hosted a state-of-the-science workshop. This workshop was open to the public and took place in Arlington, VA.
Workshop Overview:
EPA held a public workshop to discuss several scientific issues related to its draft IRIS assessment of formaldehyde (inhalation exposure). The workshop focused on the following three themes:
- Evidence pertaining to the influence of formaldehyde that is produced endogenously (by the body during normal biological processes) on the toxicity of inhaled formaldehyde, and implications for the health assessment;
- Mechanistic evidence relevant to formaldehyde inhalation exposure and lymphohematopoietic cancers (leukemia and lymphomas); and
- Epidemiological research examining the potential association between formaldehyde exposure and lymphohematopoietic cancers (leukemia and lymphomas).
The overarching goal of the workshop was to facilitate scientific discussion of these topics and the scientific challenges they pose for assessing the health hazards of inhaling formaldehyde.