Proposal to further restrict formaldehyde under REACH

The following report, for members of the Furniture Industry Research Association, provides an update on the research conducted on behalf of the European Commission in line with Article 69(1) of the REACH Regulation, to evaluate whether formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers should be further restricted due to identified risks to human health.

Formaldehyde is a high production volume chemical with a wide array of uses. While formaldehyde is mostly used as a chemical intermediate and has limited applications as biocide, substances manufactured from formaldehyde are used primarily in the production of articles.

For many materials that release formaldehyde direct use by consumers is limited. Examples of this would include articles used in construction or fabrication, such as wood-based panels and laminates. However, formaldehyde emissions from articles can affect the general population in domestic or workplace settings.