Formaldehyde News and Research

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Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used to manufacture building materials and to produce many household products. Formaldehyde sources in the home include pressed-wood products, cigarette smoke, and fuel-burning appliances. When exposed to formaldehyde, some individuals may experience various short-term health effects. Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Research studies of workers exposed to formaldehyde have suggested an association between formaldehyde exposure and cancers of the nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, and brain, and possibly leukemia.

E-cigarettes damage cells in ways that could lead to cancer

Adding to growing evidence on the possible health risks of electronic cigarettes, a lab team at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System tested two products and found they damaged cells in ways that could lead to cancer. The damage occurred even with nicotine-free versions of the products.

29 Dec 2015

Flavoring chemicals in e-cigarettes linked to severe respiratory disease

Diacetyl, a flavoring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease, was found in more than 75% of flavored electronic cigarettes and refill liquids tested by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

8 Dec 2015

Containing Airborne Contaminants

An interview with Gary Broomhead, discussing the potential sources of contamination in research and how controlling airflow in the laboratory can reduce this.

From Cantel Medical (UK) Ltd 26 Nov 2015

Allergic response can be unexpected clue in medical mystery

Most people think of allergists as the doctors who help solve sneezing, wheezing and itchy eyes. They might not realize allergists are the medical mystery detectives with the expertise to discover what is causing all sorts of unusual allergic responses.

6 Nov 2015

Researchers to design, test sensors to protect firefighters from respiratory damage and illnesses

During the next three years, researchers at Case Western Reserve University will team with NASA Glenn Research Center and firefighters nationally, from Cleveland to Oregon, to design and test sensors aimed at protecting firefighters from respiratory damage and illnesses.

27 Aug 2015

E-cigarettes becoming more widely available in developing countries

Most of the debate around e-cigarettes has focused on the developed world, but the devices are becoming more widely available in some low- and middle-income countries, where there is even greater potential for impact on public health, say two Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

19 Aug 2015

Case Western cancer researchers develop algorithm to detect DNA copy-number alterations in tumors

An algorithm dubbed ENVE could be the Google for genetic aberrations — and it comes from Case Western Reserve.

24 Jul 2015

Current tobacco control policies are softening the smoking population, shows UCSF study

Smokeless tobacco and, more recently, e-cigarettes have been promoted as a harm reduction strategy for smokers who are "unable or unwilling to quit."

25 Jun 2015

New device tracks chemical messages that regulate cell growth

Biomedical engineers at the University of Toronto have invented a new device that more quickly and accurately "listens in" on the chemical messages that tell our cells how to multiply.

25 Jun 2015

Highly efficient ChIP assay kit for FFPE samples

Chromatrap®, a business unit of Porvair Sciences, has introduced a new Formaldehyde Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) ChIP Kit which overcomes the widely acknowledged shortfalls of the technique.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 17 Jun 2015

Differences in mechanical, chemical makeup of e-cigarettes can have adverse effects on human health

Unlike standard cigarettes, the components of electronic cigarettes are not regulated and standardized, thus they vary widely between products.

17 May 2015

NIH-sponsored Phase 1 clinical trial evaluates novel investigational West Nile virus vaccine

A novel investigational West Nile virus vaccine discovered and developed by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University is being evaluated in an NIH-sponsored Phase 1, first-in-human, clinical trial at Duke University. Although several early-stage West Nile virus vaccine clinical trials have been completed to date, no human vaccine has been approved for commercial use.

7 May 2015

Discovery offers simpler, more cost-effective way to grow stem cells

Stem cells naturally cling to feeder cells as they grow in petri dishes. Scientists have thought for years that this attachment occurs because feeder cells serve as a support system, providing stems cells with essential nutrients.

25 Apr 2015

VTT develops easy-to-use ketosis test that can benefit diabetics and dieters

VTT has developed a quick, easy-to-use ketosis test for consumers that can detect acetone on exhaled breath. The test will benefit diabetics and dieters in particular, but it can easily be adapted to other uses as well, such as the detection of the air pollutants formaldehyde or acetaldehyde. VTT is now seeking a partner to commercialise the product.

23 Apr 2015

'Green' fragranced products may also emit carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants

Dr. Anne Steinemann, Professor of Civil Engineering, and the Chair of Sustainable Cities, from the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, is a world expert on environmental pollutants, air quality, and health effects.

6 Mar 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal that e-cigarettes weaken immune system

In a study with mice, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers have found that e-cigarettes compromise the immune system in the lungs and generate some of the same potentially dangerous chemicals found in traditional nicotine cigarettes.

5 Feb 2015

Viewpoints: Va. GOP's 'Medicaid charade'; Paul Ryan's health Rx for poverty; giving the sick unapproved drugs

Virginia lawmakers will convene in a special session next month to address the question of expanding Medicaid and, more broadly, the fact that hundreds of thousands of poor and disabled people in the state have no health insurance coverage. Democrats and some moderate Republicans have advanced a variety of ideas to tackle that problem. Conservative Republicans, who control the legislature in Richmond, have rejected those solutions while proposing no alternative. Does the GOP intend for the special session to be anything more than a charade at taxpayers' expense? (8/15).

19 Aug 2014

High-voltage e-cigarettes may expose users to increased levels of toxic chemicals

High-voltage electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may expose users to increased levels of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, according to research led by Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, a researcher in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI).

16 May 2014

Study: Infants are exposed to high levels of chemical emissions from crib mattresses

In a first-of-its-kind study, a team of environmental engineers from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin found that infants are exposed to high levels of chemical emissions from crib mattresses while they sleep.

3 Apr 2014

Pre-moistened wipes linked to dramatic rise in allergic reactions, says dermatologist

More and more people are developing an itchy, painful rash in an effort to stay clean. A dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center says a preservative in many types of pre-moistened wipes is linked to a dramatic rise in allergic reactions.

4 Mar 2014