What Does Formaldehyde Smell Like?

Are you a high school student looking to find information for an assignment on what formaldehyde smells like? If that is the case, then congratulations, you are at the right place. I will explain all about formaldehyde, what it is, what it smells like, and all the adverse reactions you can experience when you come in direct contact with it.

I am a college professor and am fully aware of the students’ struggle with different chemicals. Even when I was a teenager, I could never tell the difference between two chemicals. They were all so similar yet so unique in their characteristics and effects. That is what intrigued me into learning all about the world of chemistry. And I’m glad I did.

What Does Formaldehyde Smell Like?

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas at room temperature. It smells like a pickle and is considered very toxic to humans. It turns to liquid under high pressure and a low temperature, but when exposed to normal temperature and pressure, it immediately turns to gas. Just like the toxic fumes of freon released from the AC formaldehyde also comes from some common household products found in the homes like glues, cosmetics, pesticides, etc.

Sources of Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is released from the combustion of fuels, especially coal. Moreover, it is also used in cosmetics and paints, not to mention the frequent use of formaldehyde in fish canning industries. When these things are exposed to air, liquid formaldehyde turns to gas vapors and enters the atmosphere, thus increasing its concentration.

FAQs

What happens if you smell formaldehyde?

Suppose the concentration of formaldehyde in the environment exceeds 0.1 ppm (parts per million). In that case, you will definitely experience some adverse reactions in your body—for example, watery burning eyes, sore throat, coughing, and extreme nausea. Moreover, your skin will feel very dehydrated and start itching. In severe cases, high concentrations of formaldehyde can cause cancer.

Is formaldehyde dangerous to smell?

You can smell formaldehyde at low levels, but once it exceeds the stated benchmark of 0.1 ppm, it becomes hazardous to human health. You start experiencing adverse reactions in your body due to formaldehyde poisoning. Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde gas can result in permanent lung damage or even cause cancer. However, people with respiratory diseases can be susceptible to even low levels of formaldehyde in the environment.

Is formaldehyde toxic to humans?

Formaldehyde is highly toxic to humans in its high concentration. According to certain researches, formaldehyde is a carcinogen, which means that it can cause cancer. National Cancer Institute conducted certain experiments on people and found out that constant exposure to formaldehyde results in Myeloid Leukemia.

How do you neutralize the smell of formaldehyde?

If you are looking to neutralize the smell of formaldehyde from a room or any enclosed space, all you have to do is add baking soda to a bowl and place it anywhere in the room. Baking soda has unusual odor-absorbing qualities and can be used for masking all kinds of odors like weed smoke etc. Moreover, it is cheap and readily available. You will notice that within an hour, the smell of formaldehyde from that room will disappear.

Conclusion

So now you all know how dangerous formaldehyde can be to human health if inhaled in high concentrations. The least we can do is spread awareness of its root causes and effects. Governments should take action and completely ban the use of formaldehyde in consumer products. And consumers should avoid the use of all such products that contain formaldehyde as a significant ingredient, such as cosmetics and paints,odor-absorbing, etc.