1. Formaldehyde Monitoring
Presented by
Michael D. Shaw

2. FORMALDEHYDE

3. HEALTH EFFECTS

4. CARCINOGENICITY EPA—“B1” Probable human carcinogen
ACGIH—“A2” Suspected human carcinogen
WHO (IARC)—“Group 1” Carcinogenic to humans

5. Male single oral ingestion 517 mg/kg (DHHS)
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
1-10 ppm—Eye irritation; lacrimation at 4 ppm
10-20 ppm—Coughing, heart palpitations, tight feeling in chest
ppm and above—Pulmonary edema, pneumonitis, death
Contact with skin (formalin or HCHO-containing resins)—Dermatitis
Minimum Fatal Dose Level —
Male single oral ingestion 517 mg/kg (DHHS)

6. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARDS
ACGIH TLV®
0.3 ppm (Ceiling)
OSHA PEL
0.75 ppm (TWA)
2 ppm (Ceiling)
NIOSH REL
0.016 ppm (TWA)
0.1 ppm (Ceiling)

7. NIOSH ANALYTICAL METHODS

8. (1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid)
Method most sensitive
Silica gel/2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine
Method 2541
Sorbent tube/2-hydroxymethyl piperidine
Method 3500
Impinger/chromotropic acid
(1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid)

9. PRACTICAL AND OTHERWISE
INSTRUMENT METHODS—
PRACTICAL AND OTHERWISE
FTIR
Semi-automated wet chemical methods
Electrochemical (converted alcohol detectors)
Interscan purpose-designed HCHO sensor

10. INTERSCAN FORMALDEHYDE SENSOR

11. Excellent specificity
ADVANTAGES
Good sensitivity
0-500 parts-per-billion full scale measuring range available
Excellent specificity
Little effect from alcohols
Full interference info on gasdetection.com website
Quick response time
Rise time to 50%
5-10 seconds
Rise time to 90%
30-45 seconds

12. APPLICATIONS HCHO ubiquitous in the workplace, however…
Biggest applications have been in the forest products industry
e.g., monitoring of emissions from manufactured wood products

13. Interscan’s HCHO sensor is the heart of Georgia Pacific’s
DYNAMIC MICROCHAMBER
Board compliance testing time reduced
from 2 weeks to less than an hour