Question about our campers made with materials that may contain formaldehyde

[kris_12302]

Heres my story, I knew a guy that worked for FEMA and him and his co workers traveled around the country and stayed in those FEMA trailers that they give to people to use during natural disasters, well he passed away from cancer recently and I learned that he was the last one still alive out of the rest of his co workers, they had all passed away from cancer. Well I was told all the families were blaming the FEMA trailers because they were made out of materials that had high levels of formaldehyde. So today I go out to my camper and read the sticker that says " CAUTION PRODUCTS IN THE VEHICLE MAY CONTAIN FORMALDEHYDE, WHICH MAY BE AM IRRITANT TO YOU. YOU MAY EXPERIENCE A GREATER CONCENTRATION DURING HIGH HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURES. VENTILATE TO REMOVE. I went on line and searched formaldehyde and read this.."FORMALDEHYDE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A KNOWN HUMAN CARCINOGEN (CANCER-CAUSING SUBSTANCE) BY THE INTERNATIONAL AGENCY ON CANCER AND AS A PROABLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN BY THE U.S. ENVIROMENTAL AGENCY" So I was just wondering everyones thoughts, BTW I have a 2013 jayco whitehawk

[wags999]

Having worked in the wood industry for years, I can say that the vast majority, if not all, of formaldehyde has been removed from adhesives and wood products. I worked in a warehouse, with 50,000 sq ft of panel products stacked 18" high for years. Never so much as a headache.

It's not something I even think about. What little may be in the products in your rig would flash off within days. Check out California, everything is labeled a potential carcinogen.

Plenty of things to worry about, including the semi 3 feet alongside you going 65 mph, this, in my opinion is not one of them.

[Tai95]

Originally Posted by wags999

It's not something I even think about. What little may be in the products in your rig would flash off within days. Check out California, everything is labeled a potential carcinogen.

I stopped reading most labels years ago because of the litigious society we have become everything has a CYA statement printed on it. Razor blades say "caution sharp edge" for example. Also if you look hard enough almost everything causes cancer. I read a study about laser jet printers being worse for you than second hand smoke, yet I can't smoke in an office building full of printers in NY state. Also on the cancer issue I would be more worried about the food being sold today than breathing in some fumes that may or may not be prevalent in our campers. The stuff being sold in most grocery stores is 50% chemicals and 50% soy, which being a new "super food" was just 20+ years ago listed as not fit for human consumption by the FDA. That is until the soy lobbyists hit DC. Ill leave it at that before I break some forum rules

Also I would think FEMA employees would have a rather high rate of cancer, being that they usually are in the worst situations. Natural disasters unleash a ton of harmful garbage into the environment and those people stop around in it more than most.

[Clayton4971]

Lumber liquidators is sure having a tough time with their products !

[Grumpy]

First of all JAYCO products meet the Calif standards.

I worked directly with formaldehyde for over 12 years. The so called "govt tests" that caused nasal cancer in lab rats was a concentration so high that a human could not have even stayed in the room for over 30 secs.

[jal0710]

Lumber Liquidators is having a bit of trouble with their laminate products only, as far as I can tell. And, it's only speculation at this time. Guilty until proven innocent is becoming a fact of life around our country.

[troutslayer]

Formaldehyde is being emitted from just about anything (even human beings). It's the amount of it that becomes problematic. When building materials are put in a confined space and closed up and set in the sun for weeks at a time, the formaldehyde builds up. However, after time with windows opened, the formaldehyde off-gasses and becomes less of a problem. Almost all building products requiring glues are now CARB compliant so they contain much smaller amounts than in the past. Some folks who have breating problems may be affected by the "odor" until the off-gassing is complete. This may be one of those sensitive subjects but for me, I'm not bothered (mentally or physically) by the materials used in manufacturing RVs.

[eldermike]

Cause and effect ain't what it used to be. Living is the cause of everything but the cure will kill you. We have noses for a reason. If you smell something open a window.

I am 66 years old. When I was in my early 30's I worked as a tool and die maker building manual and semi-automated welding fixtures. They were built from asbestos sheets and copper. We cut up the 1/2 sheets of asbestos with a skill saw and then milled it to size of a vertical mill. We use compressed air to blow off the dust and the shop was often impossible to see across. Other than my third eye in the middle of my nose I am normal. (just kidding, I am no where near normal)

formaldehyde's are everywhere...there are three types in common plastics. Where it's been replaced it's replaced with compounds that have not been studied to the same extent. We say something is free of one thing but now it contains something else and that something else is tomorrows problem, yet to be discovered.

[Iraqvet05]

I believe those products in question from Lumber Liquidators were made in China...the same country that poisoned our dog food and sold us mold infested drywall after Katrina.

[2JayBirds]

According to this you probably come in contact with it as much in your home and work place as you would in your Rv. It is used in dish liquids, clothing, almost every mattress made and a host of other things. We all have Cancer cells in our bodies. It just takes the right thing to set it off. Here is a excerpt on a rv article that I found about this.

Is it harmful? / How does it affect people?
There's strong evidence that the human body's internal chemistry is naturally equipped to process and excrete formaldehyde without harm unless the amounts taken in are greater than the capacity of these protective processes. A very small percentage of the population appears to be particularly sensitive to formaldehyde, not unlike an allergy. For these people, coming in contact with formaldehyde can cause their eyes to water or itch, their nose to run or their throat to feel sore, so we recommend they ventilate their RVs before every trip.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has suggested the following techniques:
When using consumer products that contain formaldehyde (e.g. cleaners, antiseptics, dish-washing liquids, fabric softeners, carpet cleaners, glues, adhesives and lacquers) do so in rooms that provide fresh outdoor air.
When using some cosmetics that include high amounts of formaldehyde, such as nail hardeners, avoid doing so in small rooms or ensure plenty of ventilation.
Because tobacco smoke and exhaust from unvented heaters contain formaldehyde, avoid using these items indoors.
If you think you may have a sensitivity to formaldehyde, it's best to contact your doctor for advice.

[AKGperson]

I just tested our TT this afternoon with the 2 formaldehyde testers that I use in my profession and both of them read 0.00 ppm. Both meters are accurate to +/- 0.01 ppm. The manual that came with one of the meters states that it is normal to find 0.03 ppm in nature.

Bottom Line - Don't worry about something that isn't there. If you're still worried about it you can buy a meter on-line from Home Depot.

General Tools Formaldehyde Digital Meter with Cumulative Readings and 0.01PPM Resolution-FD08 - The Home Depot

Ken