The cancer risks posed by formaldehyde, a common workplace chemical already accepted to cause certain types of occupational cancer, are greater than previously thought. A meeting last month of International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) experts determined that sufficient evidence also exists to link formaldehyde with leukaemia, a cancer of the blood or bone marrow.

Jennifer Sass’ NRDC blog. Related material: Fatal failings on formaldehyde, Burying the evidence, Hazards magazine, number 92, 2005. Risks 432.