formaldehyde
Meaning of formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a simple, reactive chemical compound used as a preservative and disinfectant that is also classified as a known human carcinogen.
Definition of formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a simple organic compound that exists as a colorless gas at room temperature and is typically used dissolved in water or incorporated into solid materials. It reacts readily with proteins, which makes it useful as a preservative and fixative in anatomy, pathology, and embalming, where it helps stabilize tissue for examination.
Formaldehyde is also produced in large quantities for manufacturing, where it is used to make resins found in building materials, adhesives, and various household products, and it is present in tobacco smoke and released by some types of combustion.
Based on studies of workers with ongoing occupational exposure, formaldehyde is classified as a substance known to cause cancer in humans, particularly cancers of the nasal passages and certain blood cancers, a risk that depends on the level and duration of exposure rather than brief or incidental contact.
Used in a sentence
Tissue samples were preserved in formaldehyde before being sent to pathology for further examination.
Good to know
The cancer risk associated with formaldehyde is tied to sustained occupational exposure documented in workplace studies, rather than to the brief, low level contact most people encounter in consumer products.
Word origin
Where “formaldehyde” comes from
Formed from formic acid, from Latin formica, meaning ant, since the acid was first isolated from ants, combined with aldehyde, a name coined by contracting the phrase alcohol dehydrogenatum.