After Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided mobile homes and travel trailers to Gulf Coast residents who had lost their homes. Concerns have surfaced about air quality in the mobile homes and trailers. CDC is working with FEMA to investigate these health concerns.
On or about December 21, CDC will begin testing the air in a total of 500 trailers and mobile homes for formaldehyde. CDC will test trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi. A computer will pick the trailers. Every trailer has the same chance of being picked. CDC cannot take volunteers for these tests.
CDC is also working with FEMA to study children currently living in or born while their families lived in FEMA-provided housing. We want to learn about health problems linked to indoor air quality. We should be able to give you the results from our tests next year (2008).
CDC will not be able to test every trailer or every child living in a FEMA-provided mobile home or trailer. We want to do our studies quickly so that we can answer your questions quickly.
• CDC to Begin Testing Trailers for Formaldehyde, CDC news release
• CDC Media Relations transcript page
• NOLA News conference regarding occupied trailer testing, transcript
• DC news conference regarding occupied trailer testing, transcript
• Information for Residents
• Indoor Air Quality Fact Sheet
• English ( 3201KB)
• Spanish ( 2458KB)
• Vietnamese ( 1947KB)
• Indoor Air Quality and Health in FEMA Temporary Housing for Trailer Residents
• English ( 3286KB)
• Spanish ( 3239KB)
• Vietnamese ( 3041KB)
• Trailer Testing
• English ( 2394KB)
• Spanish ( 2525KB)
• Information for Clinicians and Other Professionals
• Indoor Air Quality and Health in FEMA Temporary Housing for Healthcare Providers ( 831KB)
• Information about Formaldehyde Reaction for Physicians: CDC Health Advisory
• Additional Information
• Indoor Air Quality, Basic Information, Formaldehyde, Environmental Protection Agency
• FEMA For the Record: FEMA Continues to Address Formaldehyde Concerns
• Call FEMA at 1-866-562-2381 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) if you have any questions about your trailer's air quality or formaldehyde