Formaldehyde
CAS ID #: 50-00-0
Affected Organ Systems: Dermal (Skin), Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Immunological (Immune System), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs)
Cancer Effects: Known to be a Human Carcinogen
Chemical Classification: Volatile organic compounds
Summary: At room temperature, formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that has a distinct, pungent smell. It is also known as methanal, methylene oxide, oxymethyline, methylaldehyde, and oxomethane. Formaldehyde is naturally produced in small amounts in our bodies. It is used in the production of fertilizer, paper, plywood, and urea-formaldehyde resins. It is also used as a preservative in some foods and in many products used around the house, such as antiseptics, medicines, and cosmetics.
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Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
The Intel Corporation manufactures 12 inch semiconductor wafers at its Rio Rancho New Mexico facility at 4100 Sara Road. This facility is located approximately 15 miles north of Albuquerque near commercial and residential areas of Rio Rancho and Corrales. Intel Corporation started Rio Rancho operations in 1980. Intel’s Rio Rancho facility is the largest private industrial employer in New Mexico and includes more than four million square feet of manufacturing and office space. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) estimates that approximately 12,011 people live within 1 mile of the site.
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Addendum to the Profile (PDF, 678KB)
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The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
- Page last reviewed: March 3, 2011
- Page last updated: March 3, 2011
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
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