formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that can be carcinogenic to humans, and is a common additive to building materials and household products. Formaldehyde is also formed in the environment upon oxidation of a variety of hydrocarbons, including natural gas (methane). Symptoms of exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde may include headache, nausea, throat and skin irritation, and exacerbated chemical sensitivity.
In Public Lab, we’ve been exploring low-cost methods for monitoring airborne concentrations of formaldehyde and low-cost methods for mitigating exposure to it.
Formaldehyde projects
Projects related to formaldehyde monitoring and exposure mitigation can be found on the following wikis.
Low-cost monitoring of airborne formaldehyde using colorimetric tubes: https://publiclab.org/wiki/formaldehyde-test-kit
Personal exposure to formaldehyde (and information about exposure): https://publiclab.org/wiki/formaldehyde-exposure
Low-cost remediation or airborne formaldehyde: https://publiclab.org/wiki/diy-indoor-air-quality-remediation-kit
Current formaldehyde research in Public Lab
Follow active development on the tag 'formaldehyde.'
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Questions in Public Lab related to formaldehyde
| Title | Author | Updated | Likes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Are there any other professional instruments that measures different VOC besides PID (photoionisation detector)? | @stevie | almost 5 years ago | 0 | 5 |
| What happens if I inhale too much formaldehyde? | @liz | almost 6 years ago | 2 | 2 |
| My VOC readings are maxing out at 9.99mg/cubic meter. Is there a better instrument? | @liz | about 6 years ago | 2 | 2 |
| Formaldehyde levels | @Ag8n | almost 7 years ago | 1 | 5 |
Activities to try in Public Lab related to formaldehyde
| Purpose | Category | Status | Author | Time | Difficulty | Replications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Test of DIY formaldehyde testing and remediation kit | - | - | @nshapiro | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Build a plant-based air purifier | build | in-progress | @nshapiro | 3h | easy | 6 replications: Try it » |
| Snake Plant Air Remediation Build & Partial Teardown | - | - | @jfrankamp | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Building Snake Plant Air Remediation kit in Bangalore, India | build | in-progress | @deeptalaxmibharadwaj | 3h | easy | 0 replications: Try it » |
Activities should include a materials list, costs and a step-by-step guide to construction with photos. Learn what makes a good activity here.