Blown-In Insulation Formaldehyde Safety

History

• Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation, called UFFI, was a groundbreaking insulation product used in the 1970s to insulate new homes and retrofit old homes. It replaced old asbestos and fiberglass products, which had to be wrapped or laid in panels and was superior to both because it could be blown into attics and walls with a minimum of opening the spaces to be insulated. It filled without leaving gaps of uninsulated space. Preliminary research suggested that formaldehyde might be a carcinogen but later tests determined that formaldehyde off-gassing from UFFI dissipated rapidly. By the time UFFI was cleared as a source of dangerous levels of formaldehyde, however, the U.S., Canada and several other countries had already banned its use.

Formaldehyde

• Formaldehyde is one of a group of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, used as solvents in coatings, adhesives and propellants in many building materials. At high concentrations of over 0.1 parts per million, it can irritate eyes and throat and cause nausea. In sensitive persons, the chemical, found in UFFI as well as many building materials and in burning wood, car exhaust and cigarette smoke, formaldehyde can trigger asthma attacks, respiratory problems and severe allergic attacks. It has caused cancer in animals and may be a human carcinogen.

Considerations

• Formaldehyde in UFFI dissipated rapidly due to its “open cell” structure that allowed the gas to escape easily. Initial high readings of the gas did not last more than a few days. In addition, as the gas escaped, the foam itself contracted and spent UFFI becomes dry and crumbly in place. UFFI, replaced by Icynene and latex foam spray insulation, has not been used since the 1980s. Modern insulation is marketed as “formaldehyde-free.” A well-ventilated building would contain little or no formaldehyde several decades later. Old UFFI is yellowish in color and may have seeped through openings when it was sprayed in walls. If wallboard was installed in contact with fresh UFFI, the paper covering may have bonded to the material and caused the wallboard to warp as the insulation dried.

The Threat

• Formaldehyde, once banned, has been found to be easily vented in blown-in foam, but its bad reputation and tendency to shrink makes its presence in new homes unlikely. Formaldehyde is, however, present in plywood, particle board, draperies, carpeting and other building materials. Seal wood products with urethane to control off-gassing, but drapes and carpeting require airing to disperse the gas. Concentrations of formaldehyde may be especially noticeable in small manufactured or mobile homes and off-gassing increases in hot weather.