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Citing a recent ProPublica study, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Environmental Protection Agency in a letter this week to provide a “science-based” and “strongest possible explanation of formaldehyde’s health risks.” ” requested that a final report be issued. “Government agencies have a duty to protect the public from chemicals,” he added.
Formaldehyde, used in everything from preserving corpses to binding wood products to making plastics, is so widespread that it causes far more cancers than any other toxic air pollutant. A ProPublica analysis of EPA air pollution data found that in every U.S. census tract, the cancer risk from lifetime exposure to formaldehyde in outdoor air is lower than the EPA’s for public exposure to air pollutants. This was shown to be higher than the set target.
The EPA released a draft formaldehyde risk assessment in March and plans to release a final version by the end of the year, following feedback from the public and a panel of experts. Future assessments will be used to inform future limits that government agencies place on chemicals. However, a ProPublica investigation found that a draft version of the report used unusual techniques to downplay the risks posed by formaldehyde.
In some cases, agencies have determined whether formaldehyde concentrations in outdoor air pose an “unreasonable risk” (a level that requires the agency to address), rather than measuring them against health-based standards. Judged by comparison to the highest standards. Levels of chemicals measured outdoors over a 5-year period. The measurements the agency chose as a reference point were a fluke and did not meet local air quality monitoring agencies’ quality control standards, ProPublica found.
The EPA did not immediately respond to ProPublica’s questions about Sen. Blumenthal’s letter or when it plans to release its final report.
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The EPA assesses the health risks of formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the primary federal law governing the chemical. This process typically relies on toxicity estimates calculated by another branch of the government agency. In the case of formaldehyde, the EPA released its final toxicity values in August of this year, decades after starting the calculation process. Meanwhile, companies that make and use the chemical, which could lose money if regulated, criticized the agency’s numbers and sought to slow releases.
Some industry participants on a task force that reviewed draft formaldehyde assessments this year continue to point out flaws in EPA’s toxicity estimates and suggest that EPA weaken them in its final report.
In his letter, Blumenthal advised EPA Administrator Michael Regan not to take this route. “Throughout your tenure, EPA has steadfastly supported the important mission of protecting human health and the environment,” he wrote. “We urge you to continue this work and publish a final risk assessment for formaldehyde based on the best available science.”
