Invisible Danger: Formaldehyde, a colorless pungent gas, can cause cancer, breathing problems and reproductive harms.

Greatest Threat: Most of us face the highest risks in our homes, where formaldehyde is released by some types of furniture, gas stoves and other everyday products.

Our Testing: We found concerning levels of formaldehyde in furniture stores, inside a nail salon, in cars and at a dinner party.

  • Enceladus
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    ·
    1 month ago

    So basically, the safest choice is to buy used furniture that left most of its formaldehyde at the previous owner since the industry is far from regulating it and there is no way to avoid it without living in a cave, but theses have radon gas aplenty.

    • Bell@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      1 month ago

      I think solid wood is the key, the problems are in the plywood and chipboard. For many things that will mean buying good quality used furniture.

      • Enceladus
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 month ago

        Definitely, but solid wood isn’t affordable since the early 00’s. By that metric, IKEA is the only low formaldehyde content affordable fournitures since they are mostly honeycomb cardboard and covered in latex paint.

        • smayonak@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          Activated carbon can remove such noxious fumes from the air. There are air purifiers that can do both fumes and particulate matter

        • Nomecks
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 month ago

          Used furniture is real cheap, even good stuff. People want new everything.