Protection from Formaldehyde Allergy?

[TealaG]

HI!  I developed Eczema 3 years ago.  No one knows what the cause was.  I had many allergy tests and among other things, I'm allergic to formaldehyde, which is apparently used in the production of plywood.  When I developed the eczema, I wasn't doing much woodworking.  Since then, when the eczema was "under control", I did lots of woodworking without new issues.  It flairs up and I don't do much woodworking when that happens just because it's on my hands and it becomes very uncomfortable to use the tools while the eczema is in full force.

I'm now on dermatologist #2 who thinks that I should avoid plywood.  It's a little late for that now that I built out my workshop in plywood "furniture" and got more plywood for more projects and bought new tools!  Personally, I don't see the cause/effect of the woodworking to the eczema (this latest breakout happened after at least 4 weeks of not touching my tools/wood and I went out of town so I wasn't with my stuff).

I'm curious whether there are any protective measures to be taken to allow me to continue to work with plywood and not potentially trigger this formaldehyde allergy - ie gloves???  I already wear my dust mask, eye protection, hearing protection and most of the time I do wear gloves.  Maybe different gloves or being more disciplined to wear them all the time?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! 

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

Formaldehyde is in the plywood glue so you get exposed when you cut or sand the glue lines, but the formaldehyde also off gases.  There is always going to be some formaldehyde in the air as long as plywood that contains formaldehyde is present.

For the formaldehyde fumes your best bet would be to find some way to sir out the shop routinely as best as possible.

For the problem of formaldehyde present in the plywood or other materials you are working, you might look into formaldehyde-free types of plywood. If you're currently using something like the inexpensive baltic or Chinese plywood than the cost will be higher.

If dust from formaldehyde plywood is already floating around your shop, wearing gloves could be holding formaldehyde dust next to you skin.

I don't know that dkin issues I've had are the same as yours, but using castile type soap like Bronners or Kirk's, and wiping my hands down quickly with acetone helped with some skin issues I had.

 

[TealaG]

Rip Van Winkle - thanks so much for your advice.  I wonder if the continued off gassing could be the problem.    I have a new construction home and the problem started 9 mos after I moved in.  I wonder if my house is off gassing!  Sheesh.

Airing the workshop is easy.  If it's the house...eek...

 

[peter halle]

You might want to check out a way to obtain positive ventilation in your shop.  I admit that I didn't check it your geographical location to see if that would be economically possible (heating costs).

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

Formaldehyde is part of the glues used in a wide variety of products. Does your new home have new carpet?  Generally, the more glue is a part of the product the more formaldehyde will be in the product. For example, MDF has more formaldehyde than plywood but some similar products are made (at higher cost) without formaldehyde.

As far as your home and shop go, formaldehyde out-gassing diminishes over time. You can accelerate the out-gassing (making your home less toxic over time) by increasing the heat and ventilation when you are away. When you are home keep the heat as low and the ventilation as high as you can tolerate.

 

[travisj]

I was diagnosed with a formaldehyde allergy (contact dermatitis/eczema) over a decade ago.  It took about 7 years and 5 dermatologists to get it sorted out.  Unsure of your severity, but for me there is literally one kind of soap that is formaldehyde free (Dove bar).  It is/was amazing how hard it is to get away from formaldehyde as it is in everything.

As far as woodworking.  I do the usual respirator/mask combined with DC.  I also wear a lot of nitrile gloves when working with sheet goods.  This seems to have worked the best for me so far.  I still get mild reactions from time to time.  Mild for me is eczema type symptoms (itchy, flaky, blisters, etc...).  I have not had a "severe" reaction from woodworking.

 

[junk731]

All wood contains a small quantity of formaldehyde its not just plywood with glues.

John

 

[mwildt]

If it was me then I would try to get the house tested as well. That way you have a base line on the environment you live in. Chinese drywall and liquidator flooring comes to mind.
Next, draw on the experience from travisj so you can build a list of 'good products'. Finally keep a log of when you work with wood, type, date, time etc. You can better track a pattern that way especially if it takes a few days to show up.
Best of luck for sure. I hope the out breaks will go away or at least be reduced.

 

[TealaG]

Dear everyone,
Thanks!  This info has been the most helpful!  Yesterday, I ordered a formaldehyde testing unit so that I could check my home and office because both are new construction.  My tester unit will be here on Wednesday. 

For woodworking, I have nitrile gloves and will be more dedicated about using them.

However, for general home, will this ever stop?  I know that off gassing will eventually stop or slow down, but are we talking weeks?  Months?  Years?  DECADES?  My home is 3 years old and my office is 2 years old (moved to be closer to the new office).  I have no issue with ventilating the garage shop...I can just open the garage door, run the ventilation fans and I'm sure it'll be fine.  But the house...seriously, do I need to just open the windows, run the central A/C on the air setting for a few days/weeks?  Or are we at the $1000 air filter level because it'll take a very long time to clear the air? 

My hope was that I could use my tester, figure out what the level is now, air the house and see if that helps.  If not, I could then move to the mondo filter. 

PS...  [member=53578]travisj[/member]  my new dermatologist contacted an expert at Baylor College of Medicine to get me the list of products that I CAN use that do not have Formaldehyde and Quarternium-15.    It was a mere 178 pages of everything from makeup, antiperspirant, laundry detergent, hand lotion, soap, cleaning products etc etc.  So I gave away all products not on the list and repurchased so that my house was free of those types of products with the bad stuff in it.  That leaves me with the house stuff - drywall, paint, carpet, plywood etc.  This is my second toss away (the first one was with the "don't buy stuff with these things in it" and me reading ingredient panels).  I'm hoping I'm doing things better this time!  Hard to know since I'm still blistered.

 

[Holmz]

All wood contains a small quantity of formaldehyde its not just plywood with glues.

John

I saw some mentions that solid wood contains no formaldehyde ??

Then what about OSB and SIP panels? I assume that these may be laden with adhesives.
So I am interested in what can be done in a new house build for walls as well as insulation to avoid allergic reactions.

 

[fdengel]

For woodworking, I have nitrile gloves and will be more dedicated about using them.

Be careful that you are not creating a new safety hazard by using these with certain types of shop tools (lathe, bandsaw, etc.) where the gloves could catch on a moving part and draw your hand / arm into the tool.  Gloves are fine with hand tools and many types of handheld power tools, but not for most of the bigger shop tools - they create an added hazard.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...ves-when-using-a-lathe-content-warning.42879/

 

[TealaG]

[member=40772]Holmz[/member]  Hi!  I've been doing tons of research about my problem and I may now know what's happening.  My home is an Energy Star Certified home with an air infiltration rate of 3.4 ACH50.  I believe this was determined using a blower door test (not sure because the builder paid for all the testing and I wasn't there when it was done).  I remembered that this had been done and found the certificate.

Well, I called the folks who installed my A/C system and found out that they claim that they installed a fresh air damper to bring fresh air into the house.  The internet seems to believe that at 3.4 it's not clear whether you "need" fresh air or not but below 3 you do need to bring in fresh air (vs assuming it'll come in through inefficiencies in the building).  So I do some amateur sleuthing and 1) I have no idea where the damper is and 2) there's supposed to be a wire at the thermostat to control the opening/closing of the damper.  Even the A/C company said that you set the open/close at the thermostat.  No wire?  Not sure if there's a damper?  Well, I get this funny feeling that I haven't used the damper that was supposed to pump fresh air into the house, filter it through the A/C filter and pump it through the house.  This may explain higher than expected levels of formaldehyde or other air quality issues in the house.

A/C folks are coming on Monday to show me that they indeed installed what they claimed to have installed and show me how I control it on the thermostat with no control wire running there.    I've already checked to see if the wire was there but not connected and I rechecked the construction photos.  There's only one strand there, all of them are connected and none of them seem to be the vent wire.  ARGH!

Honestly, I'm not convinced that this is due to woodworking because if that were the case, due to contact with the wood, the dust etc, I should be having significantly more agony while woodworking.  I spent 5 weeks intensely working on my projects in the garage and had NO eczema!  I finally broke down and paid for professional formaldehyde testing in the house to determine what level of panic I should be in and whether I needed to start throwing things away or what.  I did learn that my flooring is unlikely to be the issue (both are supposedly certified "green" with low to no formaldehyde).  That leaves me with the drywall or the wood in the house construction or the cabinetry (which is particle board boxes)

 

[jimbouk]

There are certain types of paint that you can use in your home that actively absorb vapour such as this.

I haven't had tests but am fairly sure I am mildly alergic to mdf dust or mdf in general. Plywood is not so bad. I am about to embark on a majour house refurb and mdf is banned!

 

[junk731]

All wood contains a small quantity of formaldehyde its not just plywood with glues.

John

I saw some mentions that solid wood contains no formaldehyde ??

Just do a google search titled "formaldehyde in natural wood".

John

 

[travisj]

The adhesives are more of an issue than the wood.  I have to be careful when cutting sheet goods, but I can't recall a reaction with solid wood. 

When we build our house in '02, the builder worked with us somewhat on materials.  We did all laminate flooring to avoid off-gassing carpet, we made sure to use formaldehyde free insulation, and we have an air exchanger.  My initial reactions were with automotive chemicals (parts cleaners, brake cleaner, etc...).  Now it is just second nature as far as what I am willing to do or not.  I can say that I go through a lot of the Harbor Freight nitrile gloves.

 

[mo siopa]

Considering your lack of flare-ups while doing woodwork TealaG, I think you are right in questioning plywood as your source of irritation.

A few points to ponder:

1) There is no such thing as truly "formaldehyde free" wood products.  Wood does contain small amounts even in its unaltered state.  Actually, any organic material will have at least trace amounts since it is a natural by-product of decay. (WHO has reported formaldehyde in people's breath up to 8 parts per billion).  There is a lot of disagreement as to what level of formaldehyde exposure is safe or normal.  However, it is widely accepted that it is linked to cancer, asthma and a myriad of other ailments including eczema and psoriasis-which I am personally acquainted with.

2) Formaldehyde resin (specifically Urea Formaldehyde) is used in most of the wood panels produced.  However, the amounts used today are much less than were used a decade ago.  Today, US regulations require all panels produced in or imported to the US to meet CARB Phase II regulations- .05ppm for plywood.  I don't know the Euro or Aussie standards but I don't think they are far off.

3) For some reason, more attention is focused on plywood, mdf, etc., than other sources of formaldehyde (not specifically this post, but generally speaking).  There can be a lot more formaldehyde used in finishes than in plywood adhesives.  Also, the dyes in carpets and drapes and even clothing are widely overlooked sources along with cigarettes.  There are even small amounts used in hygiene products like tooth paste and hand sanitizers.

4) Also overlooked are the various other harmful compounds we expose ourselves to.  Organic solvents like acetone and toluene are all around us and just as likely to cause health issues.  There are also a lot of nasty compounds used in everyday household items.  Methylene Chloride, for instance, is used in oven cleaner, paint strippers and some contact adhesives.  It is probably the most overlooked source of health issues I've come across.  It isn't just a good skin irritant and cancer catalyst, it is also an odorless nerve agent capable of shutting down your respiratory system before you notice there is a problem.

5) Just because something says "Formaldehyde Free" doesn't mean it is.  There are a lot of unscrupulous operators out there.  Lumber Liquidators just got caught importing CARB II stamped flooring into the US that was 10x the legal formaldehyde level.  The Chinese factories that were producing it said (on 60 minutes? or some news program) it did not meet CARB standards but Lumber Liquidators had it stamped CARB II anyway.

Sorry if I'm rambling too much but I suggest you check the labels on all of the cleaners you may come in contact with- including any hand sanitizers, dish soap, laundry detergent or car washing detergent.  Just looking at the timing of your outbreaks, it seems like the trigger would have to be something you are exposed to intermittently and wood is probably not it.

 

[TealaG]

Thanks so much for the info.  Here's the latest...  It turns out that I was not getting fresh air into the house if the A/C or Heat was not on (which is 50% of the year).  Not only that, my damper was randomly getting "stuck" closed.  so even if the A/C or Heat caused the damper to open, it might not open because it was mechanically stuck closed.

So, I replaced the damper to one with a different design that did not have this issue (the one I had got discontinued with one that seemed to have a design change...interesting!  but the A/C guy got me a nicer one anyway).  I also changed the control system so that the damper opened periodically throughout the day to pump fresh air into the house, regardless of whether the heat/or air was on so that there would be fresh air throughout the year.

Sounds odd...but I started sleeping better and my eczema has gotten better.  My friend pointed out that the eczema comes and goes.  yes, indeed.  But I think if I can stay at least 6 mos eczema free, then I'll declare that lack of fresh air was the issue.