Advice on formaldehyde and glycol ethers

26 scientists (see panel) met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; Lyon, France) in June, 2004, to assess the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde and two glycol ethers to humans.1 Formaldehyde is widely used in resins that bind wood products, pulp and paper; in glasswool and rockwool insulation; in plastics and coatings, textile finishing, chemical manufacture; and as a disinfectant and preservative. Overall, the Working Group concluded that formaldehyde is “carcinogenic to humans”, on the basis of sufficient evidence in humans and animals—a higher classification than previous IARC assessments. 2-butoxyethanol is a glycol ether widely used as a solvent in paints and paint thinners, glass and surface cleaners, personal-care products, and as a chemical intermediate. An inhalation study6 by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) found liver haemangiosarcoma in male mice, forestomach squamous-cell papilloma and carcinoma in female mice, and equivocal results in female rats.