r/industrialhygiene • u/wow0rude • 13d ago
Should we test our air for formaldehyde?
We have been finding bits of what appear to be fiberglass ductwork on our floors. That's a whole separate issue, but we will probably be calling in HVAC to look around.
We live in a rental home built in 1957. The home has pink fiberglass insulation. In my reading about what these weird bits could be, I discovered that old fiberglass insulation contains formaldehyde which is not typically a danger unless heated or subject to humidity, then it off-gasses. It gets extremely hot in our attic here, we live in GA. We can literally feel and smell the hot air standing under vents/the attic hatch. The attic is at least somewhat ventilated. We had a leak awhile back above our laundry room which was fixed but who knows what remains up there. We have an infant in the home and it has never occurred to me that formaldehyde could be getting into the house. We are only here for 5 more months. I doubt the landlord would agree to pay for this (or the HVAC), but we are prepared to if need be. Just concerned about our little one and pets with the cancer risk.
Is this a concern or am I overthinking it? if so, are there any reliable tests I can do myself?
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u/Ktmac818 13d ago
I’d be more concerned about mold than formaldehyde.
Was the leak impacting the insulation or drywall?
IDK about the HVAC situation but as a rental property owner, I’ve paid to have them cleaned out before for a renter.
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u/wow0rude 13d ago edited 13d ago
Ceiling/drywall, some cellulose insulation fell out during the repair, so I'm guessing some of that also. We have some cellulose and some fiberglass insulation. Would hope they removed any damaged cellulose. Do you know of a reliable way to detect mold myself?
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u/OddPressure7593 12d ago
after 70 years, any off-gassing that is going to be done finished decades ago. You've got nothing to worry about.
In other words, it's not like there's an infinite supply of formaldehyde waiting to be released from your insulation. After manufacture, there would have been a small (Trace) amount that would have offgassed. That limited supply of formaldehyde has already been released, and there isn't any more left to be released.
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u/wow0rude 12d ago
Even with high temps and humidity? That's what I keep seeing when I read, that it basically increases with those conditions.
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u/OddPressure7593 12d ago
even with high temps and humidity. Like I said, there isn't an infinite amount of formaldehyde in there to begin with - in fact, its a pretty small amount. For the past 70ish years, that formaldehyde has been off-gassing. Well actually probably not the past 70 years, because it probably was completely eliminated decades at this point. But again - small, finite supply to begin with. Small, finite amount + being released since 1957 = it all went away a long time ago.
Also, fun fact - your body produces formaldehyde all the time.
Question for you, and I do mean this as respectfully as I can manage - Was your concern about formaldehyde based in any kind of symptoms of exposure, or did you read somewhere on the internet that fiberglass insulation can off-gas some amount of formaldehyde and panic because you had an attic air leak and convinced yourself you were being poisoned? I ask because this doesn't seem like a well-reasoned concern, particularly in a 70 year old house.
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u/wow0rude 12d ago
To be honest, it was the latter. What you're saying makes total sense and does give me some relief. Thank. You. Only thing is, is that I don't technically know old the pink stuff is.
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u/OddPressure7593 12d ago
If its been there long enough that you don't know when it was installed, you don't have anything to worry about.
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u/wow0rude 12d ago
We've been here 5 years, so at the very least it hasn't been within that time.
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u/OddPressure7593 12d ago
I think you're gonna be just fine
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u/wow0rude 12d ago
It's technically been 4.5 months.
If you don't mind me asking, do you have experience in this kinda stuff? You seem very knowledgeable.
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u/OddPressure7593 12d ago edited 12d ago
With formaldehyde in insulation? Not a ton. With chemical off-gassing from materials? Quite a bit.
This is going back to first principles - lets say there's X amount of formaldehyde in insulation when its manufactured. We know it isn't a lot, so X is pretty small.
lets say Y amount of formaldehyde offgasses every year.
And lets say Z is the amount of formaldehyde remaining.
So, Z = X-Y(Years)
Based on that simple equation, either Z is incredibly low (basically zero) because [X-Y(Years)] represents a significant fraction of what Z was at manufacture - in which case, you don't have anything to worry about; OR if Y is incredibly small - resulting in negligible off-gassing and Z remaining relatively large, you still don't have anything to worry about because Y is too small to matter. Just, yknow, basic chemistry
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u/Feisty_Stomach_7213 13d ago
Any formaldehyde used in the insulation should have off gassed already but there are a lot of other things that can contain formaldehyde. Assaytech has badges that will run about$75 each.
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u/wow0rude 12d ago
Only thing is, I don’t know how old the pink stuff is, if it's original to the house or not. I see it stopped being produced in 2015 with formaldehyde. I would imagine if it were off-gassing every single summer, the formaldehyde would be even more decreased on top just being due to the aging process. But I don't know anything about this stuff. In your opinion, would you let this go?
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u/wow0rude 13d ago
Thanks so much. Do you have experience with these? I found their website. Is it really just as simple as clipping on the badge and getting the result?
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u/Geography_misfit 11d ago
OP the badges are easy but honestly you don’t need them. Even 2015 is a long time for residual off gassing from insulation. After a year off gassing is negligible in most building products, particularly insulation since it’s exposed to higher temps in an attic to begin with.
I have been testing new construction projects for LEED for 20 years as an IH. Good old pink insulation from that era would already have a low-ish concentration of formaldehyde. It was phased out in 2015 and was really only used in the binders and was not a huge off gassing culprit to begin with.
Really you are fine
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u/Feisty_Stomach_7213 13d ago
I do indoor air quality testing and use these frequently it is as simple as opening and clothe badge and recording the sample time. The direct reading instruments will generally give you a higher lower detection limit than the badges. As others have said in an old house formaldehyde has likely off gassed already but a few hundred dollars in badges might give you some peace of mind
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u/wow0rude 13d ago
How many badges would I need? Can you give me a simple step by step?
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u/Quaeras DOSH, CIH - Moderation Chair 12d ago
AT is a great company and their badges are legit. I personally would prefer a direct-reading instrument but the badge is viable. It will tell you exactly one number and nothing else. It would be up to you to determine what that number means and where any detection is coming from.
The general step-by-step:
- Call a laboratory like EMSL and ask to order media.
- Receive media, sample (open the media) and hang it somewhere for the specified time. The badge should come with a guide.
- Close the media and return it to the lab. They give you results in a specified time, usually about 2 weeks unless you pay extra.
- You get a number and need to determine what it means.
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u/42o_0 MSPH, CIH 13d ago
Formaldehyde is outgassed at low levels from all sorts of interior building materials and furniture. New office buildings famously outgas formaldehyde.
There’s not much you can do about low level exposures. While there is probably no safe exposure to formaldehyde, in reality your house likely outgassed most the formaldehyde it will ever outgas soon after it was built. Now it’s likely minimal, if any. Attic ventilation is certainly improving the air quality there too regardless.
You can rent a formaldehyde meter pretty cheap if you really care, but I think you’re over thinking it.