Mortality From Lymphohematopoietic Malignancies Among Workers in Formaldehyde Industries: The National Cancer Institute Cohort

Abstract

Formaldehyde is widely used for various industrial purposes and as a preservative and disinfectant. In 2000, annual US formaldehyde production exceeded 4.6 million tons ( 1 ). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimated that in 1995 approximately 2.1 million people in the United States were exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace ( 2 ). A substantially larger number of people may be exposed to lower environmental levels.