(SHELBYVILLE, Ind., June 28, 2004) On Tuesday, June 15, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde as a Group 1 chemical from a Group 2A - from “probable” to a “known” carcinogen.  This decision appears to be based on studies of high formaldehyde exposures in the 1940’s through the 1970’s for workers in certain industries.  The studies linked those high workplace exposures with a rare form of cancer in the nasopharyngeal cavity, the upper part of the throat behind the nose.  Workplace exposure levels today are dramatically lower, and governed by strict OSHA standards. 

 

This decision has no actual impact on fiber glass insulation.  No health concern is posed by the trace amounts of formaldehyde emitted by fiber glass insulation products.  Additionally, the reclassification does not pertain to other types of cancer or a risk to contractors or the general public. The reclassification is based on a rare cancer associated with high workplace exposures 30-60 years ago in industries like textile finishing, furniture varnishing, and embalming.   

 

While this decision does not impact fiber glass insulation products, small amounts of formaldehyde are used in the manufacturing process of standard fiber glass insulation.  Exposure levels are extremely low, and these amounts pose no risk to workers or consumers.

 

Knauf products are also certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute to further ensure low emissions with respect to formaldehyde and TVOCs (Total Volatile Organic Compounds).  GREENGUARD is the world’s leading third-party authority on indoor air quality and low-emitting products, using rigorous product and facility testing with the industry’s toughest standards on formaldehyde emissions.  Knauf building insulation products have also passed California’s new Section 01350 specification, which cuts previous limits for formaldehyde emissions in half for state office buildings and schools.  From this leading position on IAQ issues, Knauf offers the following answers to questions on the recent IARC reclassification:

 

 

Formaldehyde is a chemical composed of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. It is found throughout our environment, from both natural and man-made sources. 

 

 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization. One of IARC’s responsibilities is to organize reviews of scientific data to determine whether, using its own rating system, a material could be a human carcinogen.

 

 

IARC convenes working groups of scientists to review available data and make recommendations as to the carcinogenicity of various chemicals.  The IARC decision on formaldehyde means that a panel of international scientists has reviewed several scientific studies and concluded that high levels of formaldehyde exposure are linked to a rare nasopharyngeal cancer in humans – classifying it as a Group 1 “known carcinogen” from its previous Group 2A “probable” status.

For standard fiber glass insulation, the reclassification doesn’t have a real impact.  The studies used by IARC involved a rare nasopharyngeal cancer in employees exposed to high levels of formaldehyde in the workplace 30-60 years ago, with exposures ranging from 2-5 ppm in industries like wood floor varnishing, textile finishing, fur treatment, embalming, and garment and paper production.  The IARC decision did not find sufficient evidence to link formaldehyde to any other types of cancer or to the general public. 

 

 

Yes.  The studies used by IARC involved a rare nasopharyngeal cancer in employees exposed to high levels of formaldehyde in the workplace 30-60 years ago:

 

 

The trace emissions of formaldehyde from our products pose no health risk to Knauf employees, installers or consumers – a position supported by our GREENGUARD certification, which uses the toughest industry standards on formaldehyde. 

 

 

First, IARC classifications are “hazard identifications” – they do not identify any degree of risk.

Secondly, the studies evaluated by IARC used data from 30-60 years ago, when levels of formaldehyde in the workplaces of certain industries were much higher than today.  We are confident that Knauf employees are safe, as well as consumers and the workers who install our products.

 

 

Quite simply, formaldehyde is everywhere.  Our bodies produce formaldehyde as part of our metabolic processes, and it even occurs naturally in the air we breathe.  Other natural sources of formaldehyde include certain fruits and vegetables (i.e. apples).  Formaldehyde is also emitted from products like cosmetics, deodorant, paper towels, and a variety of building products.

 

Small amounts of formaldehyde are also used in the binder for standard fiber glass insulation.  Virtually all of this formaldehyde is eliminated as the product is cured during manufacturing, and most of what’s left dissipates within hours of installation, leaving virtually no trace.

 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that emissions from “fibrous glass insulation and ceiling tiles have little impact on in-home formaldehyde levels,” while the U.S. EPA does not list fiber glass insulation as an in-home source of formaldehyde.  In a “real world” context, fiber glass insulation has been found to emit less formaldehyde than a permanent press shirt. 

 

 

While results vary by product, the highest level of formaldehyde released by traditional fiber glass building insulation (right after opening the bag) is less than 0.1 ppm (parts per million), and quickly drops to less than 0.02 ppm – well below safe threshold levels recognized by the EPA, OSHA, World Health Organization and State of Washington, among others. 

 

 

No. Formaldehyde does not accumulate in the body or environment – it dissipates naturally and is broken down by sunlight and other biological functions.  Exposures are low, and virtually all formaldehyde in standard fiber glass building insulation has dissipated within a few hours of installation and poses no cause for concern, either for installers or building occupants.

 

 

No, the IARC decision does not require changes to product labels or MSDSs.  Again, the reclassification focuses on high exposure levels to workers in certain workplace environments.

 

 

Yes; in 2001 IARC removed fiber glass from its list of substances it considered to be “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by reclassifying fiber glass from a Group 2B to Group 3 – “not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans.”

 

 

First, it is important to note that emissions from fiber glass insulation are so low that they are virtually undetectable, and have never been considered cause for consumer concern. However, there are fiber glass insulation products that claim to be “formaldehyde-free” based solely on a lack of formaldehyde added to their binder.  Recent State of California testing has cast doubts on the accuracy of their claims, and has documented that one such “formaldehyde-free” fiber glass product actually emitted more formaldehyde than a tested standard product.

California’s Integrated Waste Management Board has concluded that with respect to insulation, there “appears to be little difference between standard and alternative [formaldehyde-free] products.” (CIWMB Publication Number 433-03-015)

 

 

More information on the IARC decision may be available at http://www.iarc.fr/.  Additional information can also be found through the North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association (http://www.naima.org/), the Formaldehyde Council (http://www.formaldehyde.org/) and the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (http://www.greenguard.org)/.