The administration of President Donald J. Trump is reversing course on a 2024 assessment that could have paved the way to severe restrictions on the use of formaldehyde in various industries.
The revisions to the federal Environmental Protection Agency Draft Risk Assessment, released during the waning days of the administration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr., assumes that there are safe levels of formaldehyde exposure and that “sensory irritation” is the main danger from the chemical.
The revised assessment does not change the conclusion that formaldehyde presents an “unreasonable risk of injury” from exposure, but it does argue that the risk of cumulative danger from prolonged exposure is not as great as previously assessed.
“Managing risks from acute sensory irritation will be protective against other health effects, including cancer,” a synopsis of the revised assessment states.
While funeral homes use formaldehyde during embalming, neither the Biden assessment nor the Trump assessment extended their concerns about the chemical to the use of it in the funeral industry. Funeral directors, under federal and New Jersey regulations, must wear personal protective equipment and work in ventilated preparation rooms when embalming.
The EPA assessment also has no bearing on federal Occupational and Safety Health Administration rules concerning working with formaldehyde. Funeral directors still must comply with OSHA standards and communicate with employees concerning chemical exposure risks. An overview of OSHA rules for funeral home employees can be found here.
Formaldehyde, a naturally occurring substance, is used in the production of petroleum, plastics, paints, adhesives and sealants, among other items. But it is listed as a cancer-causing agent, a fact not disputed by the new assessment.
The revised assessment was applauded by advocates within the chemical industry. The American Chemistry Council complained that the original Biden-era document did not “fully align with statutory requirements for scientific quality, peer review or engagement with public and interagency comments.”
But other scientists disagreed and said the latest risk assessment underplays the dangers of formaldehyde exposure.
“Within the scientific community, the idea that there is a safe threshold for carcinogenic exposures is not widely accepted,” David Michaels, a professor in epidemiology at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University and the former head of OSHA under President Barack Obama, told The New York Times.
A study released in 2022 said that prolonged exposure to formaldehyde also could lead to cognitive impairment, according to a story in The Washington Post.
The EPA will be accepting public comment on the revised assessment until February 2, 2026.