An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
On this page:
EPA announced the release of the IRIS Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). The interagency comments on the IRIS Interagency Science Discussion Draft were also released.
EPA has finalized the IRIS Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). This assessment addresses the potential cancer and noncancer human health effects from inhalation exposure to formaldehyde. EPA’s program and regional offices may use this assessment to inform decisions to protect human health.
Formaldehyde is present in a variety of products including plywood adhesives, abrasive materials, insulation, pesticides, and embalming fluids. Major sources of anthropogenic emissions include household furnishings and building materials, motor vehicle exhaust, manufacturing plants that produce or use formaldehyde or substances that contain it (e.g., glues), and tobacco smoke.
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| May 2011 | The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST) released the NAS Review of the Environmental Protection Agency's Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde (Final Report). |
| Apr 2014 | EPA convened a state-of-the-science workshop on formaldehyde on April 30 and May 1, 2014 in Arlington, VA. This workshop focused on 3 themes, see the web site for specific details. |
| Jun 2018 | The IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde (Inhalation) Agency Review draft (completed in 2017) was formally suspended. |
| Mar 2021 | EPA updated the list of priority assessments developed by IRIS. EPA unsuspends the IRIS Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). |
| Dec 2021 | EPA initiated an interagency science consultation on the draft Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). |
| Apr 2022 | EPA released the draft Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation) (External Review Draft) for public comment and subsequent external peer review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Also released was the EPA-led Interagency Science Consultation draft with interagency comments. The draft report was open for a 60-day public comment period and closed on June 13, 2022. [FR Notice: Apr 14, 2022] |
| Aug 2023 | The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released their consensus study report, Review of EPA's 2022 Draft Formaldehyde Assessment, which provides recommendations to the U.S.EPA. |
| Jun 2024 | EPA submitted the revised interagency science discussion draft for final Agency and Interagency review. |
| Aug 2024 | EPA posted the final report IRIS Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation), released the interagency science discussion draft comments on the IRIS website, and updated key IRIS values for formaldehyde in the IRIS database. |
This document has been reviewed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
If you have a disability and the format of any material on our web pages interferes with your ability to access the information, please reach out to us using the Contact Us about IRIS form for assistance. To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of the accessibility problem, the web address of the requested material, your preferred format in which you want to receive the material (electronic format (ASCII, etc.), standard print, large print, etc.), and your contact information.
