Formaldehyde woes

If you're in the habit of wearing Victoria's Secret bras, heck if you even own a Victoria's Secret Angel's Secret Embrace bra or a Very Extreme Me Push-Up bra, beware. Roberta Ritter of Ohio, USA, together with dozens of other women have filed a class action lawsuit against the popular lingerie company, claiming that the bras gave her welts that were "very red, hot to the touch, extremely inflamed, blistery, (and) itched profusely." Definitely not a nice condition to have on any part of your body, let alone there.

The thing I can't figure out is, why do they use formaledehyde in the manufacturing of these bras? Are these push up bras supposed to keep your boobs looking perky by... preserving them in emblaming fluid? 0_0

So I did a check on sources of formaldehyde

• Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation - Installed in homes in the US in the 1970s but discontinued.
  
• Durable-press fabrics, draperies and coated paper products
• Cosmetics, paints, coatings and some wet-strength paper products
• Pressed wood products, especially those containing urea-formaldehyde glues. Includes particleboard, shelves, cabinets and furniture, plywood, fiberboard.
• Combustion sources - Burning wood, kerosene, cigarettes, natural gas, and operating internal combustion engines (e.g. cars)

But here's the scary part. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) publication on formaldehyde indicates that it is a carcinogen, although the risk is believed to be small at the level that humans are typically exposed to.

According to the article, normal levels are usually at 0.03 parts per million (ppm), both outdoors and indoors, but because of all these products that are emitting formaldehyde indoors, where air circulation is typically lower, the formaldehyde levels may increase indoors.

Eco-USA has a scarier message

You are exposed to small amounts of formaldehyde in the air. It occurs from both natural and man made sources although combustion is the largest source. If you live in an unpopulated area, you may be exposed to about 0.2 parts per billion (ppb) of formaldehyde in the air outdoors. In suburban areas, you may be exposed to about 2-6 ppb of formaldehyde. If you live in a heavily populated area or near some industries, you may be exposed to 10-20 ppb. You may also be exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde during rush hour commutes in highly populated areas because if is formed in automobile and truck exhaust.

So what to do? We can't, obviously, all become agoraphobes because there are a lot of big bad cars out there that emit tons of formaldehyde and other crap. We can't stick our head in the sand and hope the problem will go away. But what we can do is to raise our awareness of the problem and do what we can to reduce our exposure to formaldehyde in our own homes.

The EPA recommends:

Purchasing pressed wood products such as particleboard, MDF, or hardwood plywood for construction or remodeling of homes, or for do-it-yourself projects, that are labeled or stamped to be in conformance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) criteria. Particleboard should be in conformance with ANSI A208.1-1993. For particleboard flooring, look for ANSI grades "PBU", "D2", or "D3" actually stamped on the panel. MDF should be in conformance with ANSI A208.2-1994; and hardwood plywood with ANSI/HPVA HP-1-1994. These standards all specify lower formaldehyde emission levels.

Purchasing furniture or cabinets that contain a high percentage of panel surface and edges that are laminated or coated. Unlaminated or uncoated (raw) panels of pressed wood products will generally emit more formaldehyde than those that are laminated or coated.

Using alternative products such as wood panel products not made with urea-formaldehyde glues, lumber or metal.

Avoiding the use of foamed-in-place insulation containing formaldehyde, especially urea-formaldehyde foam insulation.

Washing durable-press fabrics before use.

Also, improving ventilation, removing the offending product from your home and sealing the surfaces of formaldehyde-containing products that are not already laminated or coated are some additional steps that you can take.

Seems like everywhere you turn, these days, there is a carcinogen lurking. But I've always believed that "everything in moderation" is a good mantra to live life by, and knowledge is power. As a consumer, I believe that we have the power to shift the production patterns of industry by choosing not to buy cheap but dangerous products. Of course it's easier said than done, but you have to start somewhere, right?