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Table of Contents

OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS V

TABLE OF CONTENTS XVII

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS XXIV

10. 
    EFFECTS ON LABORATORY MAMMALS AND OTHER TEST
    

1. 
   Acute toxicity 56
   
2. 
   Corrosivity/Irritation 56
   
   1. 
      Skin and eye irritation 56
      
   2. 
      Respiratory irritation 57
      
3. 
   Sensitisation 58
   
   1. 
      Skin 58
      
   2. 
      Respiratory 58
      
4. 
   Repeat dose toxicity 59
   
   1. 
      Inhalation 59
      
   2. 
      Oral 62
      
   3. 
      Dermal 63
      
5. 
   Genotoxicity 63
   
   1. 
      In vitro studies 63
      
   2. 
      In vivo studies 64
      
6. 
   Carcinogenicity 66
   
   1. 
      Inhalation 66
      
   2. 
      Oral 67
      
   3. 
      Dermal 68
      
7. 
   Reproductive toxicity 68
   
8. 
   Developmental toxicity 69
   

11.	HUMAN	HEALTH EFFECTS	71
	11.1	Acute toxicity	71
	11.2	Irritation/Corrosivity	71
		11.2.1 Skin irritation	71
		11.2.2 Sensory irritation	72
	11.3	Sensitisation	74
		11.3.1 Skin	74
		11.3.2 Respiratory	82
	11.4	Non-neoplastic effects	84
		11.4.1 Respiratory-related effects	84
		11.4.2 Neurological effects	86
	11.5	Genotoxicity	87
	11.6	Carcinogenicity	87
		11.6.1 Nasal tract, pharynx and pulmonary tumours	88
		11.6.2 Non-respiratory tract cancers	98
	11.7	Reproductive toxicity	110
	11.8	Developmental toxicity	111

13. 
    ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE 121
    
    1. 
       Ambient air concentrations 121
       

	13.1.1	Point source emissions from industry	121
	13.1.2	Diffuse source emissions	127
	13.1.3	Natural background concentrations	128
	13.1.4	Combining PECs from all sources	129
	13.1.5	Measured data	129
	13.1.6	Summary	131
13.2	Indoor air	concentrations	133
	13.2.1	Residential buildings	133
	13.2.2	Non-residential buildings	137
	13.2.3	Estimation of indoor to outdoor ratio	140

1. 
   Concentrations in water 141
   
2. 
   Concentrations in soil and sediment 143
   

13. 
    PUBLIC EXPOSURE 144
    
    1. 
       Direct exposure 144
       
       1. 
          Cosmetic and consumer products 144
          
       2. 
          Smoking 144
          
    2. 
       Indirect exposure 145
       

14.2.1	Indoor air	145
14.2.2	Ambient air	146
14.2.3	Drinking water, food, and soil	146

13. 
    OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE 147
    
    1. 
       Routes of exposure 147
       
    2. 
       Methodology for assessing occupational exposure 147
       
    3. 
       Formaldehyde manufacture 148
       
    4. 
       Importation and transportation 149
       

Table 15.1: Air monitoring data during formaldehyde manufacture 150

5. 
   Formulation and repackaging 151
   
   1. 
      Resin manufacture 151
      
   2. 
      Formulation of formaldehyde products other than resins 152
      
   3. 
      Repackaging 155
      
6. 
   End uses of formaldehyde products 157
   

	15.6.1	Formaldehyde resins	157
	15.6.2	Forensic/hospital mortuaries and pathology laboratories	162
	15.6.3	Embalming	163
	15.6.4	Photographic film processing	171
	15.6.5	Leather tanning using formalin solutions	171
	15.6.6	Sanitising treatment	172
	15.6.7	Lubricant products	172
	15.6.8	Analytical laboratories	172
	15.6.9	Fumigation	173
	15.6.10	Monitoring data on other use of formaldehyde products	173
15.7	Summary		173

13. 
    CRITICAL HEALTH EFFECTS FOR RISK CHARACTERISATION 175
    
    1. 
       Acute effects 175
       
    2. 
       Repeated dose effects (other than carcinogenicity) 176
       
    3. 
       Carcinogenicity 177
       
    4. 
       Dose-response analysis 178
       
       1. 
          Sensory irritation 178
          
       2. 
          Skin sensitisation 179
          
       3. 
          Cell proliferation 179
          
       4. 
          Carcinogenicity 180
          
14. 
    RISK CHARACTERISATION 183
    
    1. 
       Environmental risks 183
       

17.3 Occupational health risks 188

17.3.1 Physicochemical hazards 188

	17.3.2	Occupational exposure and health impacts	188
	17.3.3	Uncertainties in occupational risk characterisation	191
	17.3.4	Areas of concern in occupational settings	191
17.4	Data gaps		191

13. 
    RISK MANAGEMENT 193
    
    1. 
       Environmental risk management 193
       
       1. 
          Current ambient air quality controls 193
          
       2. 
          Other environmental controls 197
          
       3. 
          Further actions identified 198
          
    2. 
       Public health risk management 199
       
       1. 
          Current indoor air quality management 199
          
       2. 
          Formaldehyde emission controls from wood products 203
          
       3. 
          Product labelling schemes 207
          
       4. 
          Current risk management for consumer products 208
          
       5. 
          Further actions identified 209
          
    3. 
       Occupational health and safety risk management 211
       

18.3.1	Current regulatory controls	211
18.3.2	Current industry controls	215
18.3.3	Further actions identified	221

13. 
    SECONDARY NOTIFICATION 222
    

APPENDIX 12 - Australian-made wood panel products 268

APPENDIX 13 - MSDS assessment 273

APPENDIX 14 – Sample Material Safety Data Sheet for formaldehyde solution, 37% 279

APPENDIX 15 - Label assessment 287

APPENDIX 16 - Proposed occupational exposure standard 290

APPENDIX 17 – MDF Plant Formaldehyde Air Dispersion, Report No 79365,

by EML Air Ltd 297

APPENDIX 18 - Review of MDF Plant Formaldehyde Air Dispersion, EML Report 79365, prepared for NICNAS, by M.F. Hibberd & M. E. Cope 308