Formaldehyde

Published February 2000

CH₂O. A colorless, pungent and irritating toxic chemical that is present in building materials, furniture, textiles, resins and tobacco smoke. It is used in the production of synthetic urea and phenol-formaldehyde resins, which are used in manufacturing plywood, fiberboard, laminates and particleboard. Urea formaldehyde was used in building insulation foams.