The danger of some laminate wood flooring that was originally reported was underestimated.
According to a report by CNN, the traces of formaldehyde discovered in laminate flooring manufactured in China and sold by Lumber Liquidators were underestimated.
People exposed to formaldehyde could experience harmful heath issues, according to numerous government reports. This includes a lifetime cancer risk, which was found to be higher than originally reported. The US Centers for Disease Control and The National Center for Environmental Health states that the issues are linked to laminate floors manufactured in China and sold by Lumber Liquidators based in Tano, Virginia.
Lumber Liquidators said that they stopped selling the products last year.
How It All Began
In 2015, a CBS “60 Minutes” special called Lumber Liquidators was aired featuring CNN Contributor, Anderson Cooper. Which found formaldehyde traces in certain laminate products, which exceeded standards set by the California Air Resources Board.
CNN did their own private testing on 30 boxes of laminate flooring, which they received from 5 Lumber Liquidator store locations from New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois.
This prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to run their own tests with laminate products manufactured in China. The CDC and Disease Registry reviewed the test results and reassessed the health effects.
Formaldehyde Effects From the Results Conducted
Formaldehyde can result in eyes, nose and throat irritation. Breathing problems can also occur in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and asthma.
The Calculated Error
“The revised report concludes that irritation and breathing problems could occur in everyone exposed to formaldehyde in the tested laminate flooring, not just in sensitive groups. The report also increased the estimated lifetime cancer risk from breathing the highest levels of formaldehyde from the affected flooring all day, every day for two years. The lifetime cancer risk increased from the previous estimate of two to nine extra cases for every 100,000 people to between six and 30 extra cases per 100,000 people,” the CDC and ATSDR stated.
“The American Cancer Society estimates that up to 50,000 of every 100,000 people may develop cancer from all causes over their lifetimes,” the CDC stated.
Formaldehyde Preventative Measures
- Reduce other sources of formaldehyde, such as tobacco smoke
- Consider getting professional air testing
- Ensure that you get daily fresh air circulation throughout the home by opening windows daily
