Formaldehyde on Trial: The Politics of Health in a Chemical Society

Investigative journalist Lloyd Tataryn demonstrated that formaldehyde--used so widely in consumer products that it was dubbed "the workhorse chemical"--should be considered a harmful chemical.

The formaldehyde controversy began with the plight of the 80,000 Canadian families who filled the walls of their homes with urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) in the 1960s and '70s. Many soon regretted taking government grants to install the foam: they suffered a host of health problems: respiratory ailments, headaches, nausea and rashes. And an increasing amount of evidence pointed to a link between formaldehyde exposure and cancer.

First published in 1983, Formaldehyde on Trial is a startling study of how our technologically advanced "chemical society" remains backwards when it comes to protecting the public health.