Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Formaldehyde in Outdoor Air by County, New Jersey, 2020
Indicator Report Data View Options
Formaldehyde in Outdoor Air by County, New Jersey, 2020
Why Is This Important?
Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, is a chemical used widely to make building materials and numerous household products. It is formed in tobacco smoke, wood smoke and automobile exhaust. In outdoor air, formaldehyde is produced in the atmosphere through chemical reactions between other pollutants and sunlight. Exposure to elevated levels of formaldehyde in air can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, difficulty in breathing, and asthma attacks. Formaldehyde is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans. Exposure may increase the risk of nasal cancers.
Definition
Mean of modeled annual average formaldehyde concentration for a county
Data Source
USEPA Air Toxics Screening Assessment and NJDEP Division of Air Quality(https://www.epa.gov/AirToxScreen)
How the Measure is Calculated
Numerator:
Modeled mean formaldehyde concentration in micrograms per cubic meterDenominator:
N/A
Related Health Objectives and Indicators
Environmental Public Health Tracking Indicator AQ-81
Description: Annual average air concentration estimates for benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,3-butadienehttps://ephtracking.cdc.gov/indicatorPages?selectedContentAreaAbbreviation=11&selectedIndicatorId=81