Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancers, Including Leukemia, National Academies Concludes

Formaldehyde can cause leukemia and at least two other types of cancer, the National Academies said in a review issued Aug. 8.

There is sufficient evidence from human studies to conclude that formaldehyde can cause nose and sinus cavity tumors, as well as myeloid leukemia, the academies National Research Council said.

That assessment upholds the conclusion the Department of Health and Human Services reached in 2011, when it classified formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen in its 12th Report on Carcinogens 113 DER A-16, 6/13/11.

Building-Block Chemical.

Formaldehyde is a major industrial “building-block” chemical because it is used to ...