Formaldehyde poisoning suspected in RV
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Danger formaldehyde

FORMALDEHYDE POISONING SUSPECTED IN RV

A report on the ABC News website on  June 4th, 2007 alleges that a Mississippi couple who bought a trailer "began to suffer strange symptoms: burning sensations in their eyes, splitting headaches and even nosebleeds."  The RVer contacted the Sierra Club and the club provided him with formaldehyde test kits.

  

Formaldehyde effects on health (US Environmental Agency):  Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.10 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.  Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions.

The RVer tested and found formaldehyde levels of 0.42 according to the article.  He then followed the Sierra Club's suggestion and closed up and "baked off" his trailer with heaters and then ventilated it for 3 days.  It's then reported that retesting found levels of 0.37 - once again considerably above the US Environmental Agency figure of 0.10 quoted above (in the red box.)

The RVer's doctor told him that there are no tests for formaldehyde poisoning but it was "highly suspected" in the case of him and his wife.

 

What do you think? ...

Readers' comments:
Latest first

beachbum :   Does anyone have a list of either the worst brands or brands that are formaldehyde free?

Susan Rappoport :   My brother bought a new travel trailer when he retired at age 54. He planned to live in it and travel to different parts of the country. After a short time, he started getting sick. He had slurred speech, loss of balance, severe depression and other symptoms. One side of his back started hurting. When we finally got him to go to the doctor, he had Stage IV kidney cancer. He died from it. I tested his trailer for formaldehyde over a year and half after he bought it. He had been airing it out all fall and into the winter. He was out of the trailer. My sister and I were taking care of him. The formaldehyde level in the trailer tested at .265 parts per million. A professional embalmer is exposed to .3 parts per million and is required to wear safety gear when using formaldehyde. He was my little brother. He worked so hard all his life. He was such a good person. My faith has been severely tested watching the pain and sickness he had to go through. The manufacturers of these trailers are not made to follow the law regarding the so-called "safe" level of formaldehyde, which I believe is .1 parts per million. There are those who think .1 parts per million is way too high for health safety. He died two years ago. I did extensive internet searches on formaldehyde. Today is the first time I have been able to get back on the internet and look up formaldehyde poisoning. My brother left three sisters and two sons broken hearted.

ALLEN FRALEY :   I WAS POISONED BECAUSE MY CHEMCLEAN BOTTLE BY THETFORD RUPTURED AND RELEASED THE LIQID THROUGH OUT THE MOTOR HOME. EVIDENTLY THE BOTLE GOT TO HOT EVEN THOUGH THE AIR WAS ON. WE RETURNED IN THREE WEEKS OPENED THE DOOR, AND THE REST WAS HISTORY. I WAS BLEEDING FROM THE LUNGS ETC. HAD TO QUIT MY JOB AS DID MY WIFE. THE BOOTLE RUPTURED IN TWO LIKE SLITS AT THE BOTTOM AND THETFORD IS SAYING IT IS A CUT NOT A RUPTURE? ALL I KNOW IS I CAN HARDLY BREATH AFTER ALMOST A YEAR. AND SHARE MOST OF THE SYMTOMS OF THE OTHERS. HOW CAN WE TEST THAT BOTTLE?

Minnesota :   I think I had formaldehyde poisoning in the 1980s from my new home. It was not diagnosed at the time, I came to suspect it later after reading a newspaper article on the subject. My symptoms were: splitting headache for one year, insomnia, tired in daytime, severe short-term memory loss, burning esophagus, trouble inhaling deeply, trouble swallowing, pounding heart, depression, aching muscles, trouble making simple decisions and extreme muscle weakness. The memory loss was such that when driving I would forget the difference between red and green traffic lights. When going to the mailbox or downstairs to the freezer, I would have to talk aloud continually, telling myself where I was going, otherwise, I would forget before I got there. I could not enjoy a television show because my bad memory would not allow me to follow the plot. When reading a book (and I read every book I could find on depression), I would have to re-read each paragraph 5-10 times before it would sink into my memory. The headache was so bad that I would tip-toe around the house, because any jostling at all increased the pain of the pounding headache. The breathing problems were so bad that I was afraid to go to sleep at night, fearing that I would suffocate because it was such an effort to breathe. It was so hard to swallow that I would carry a napkin around to spit in rather than subject myself to needless swallowing.

namsangels :   Did anyone have memory loss, eye color change, muscle pain?

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