Formaldehyde – A Comparison of FEMA, NIOSH, HUD & OSHA Standards
A Comparison of FEMA, NIOSH, HUD and OSHA Standards for Formaldehyde Exposure
by IAQ-EMF Consulting Inc. Stuart D Bagley, MS, CIH, November 12, 2007
| FEMA | NIOSH | HUD | OSHA | |
| Formaldehyde Exposure Limits- 8 hours | Maximum concentration – Less than 16 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.016 ppm as directed by FEMA. Samples shall be taken for eight (8) continuous hours.Following the 7-day and 14-day waiting period, the indoor air for each unit shall be tested to document that the IAQ is below the required threshold limits.. | NIOSH REL: Ca TWA 0.016 ppm or 16 parts per billion (ppb)[1] This is a workplace limit. | A 1985 HUD regulation covering the use of pressed wood products in manufactured housing was designed to ensure that indoor levels are below 0.4 ppm.[2] No time limit noted. | 8-hour TWA – Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) – The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde which exceeds 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA.This is a workplace limit. |
| Ratios of Limits: Compared to FEMA | FEMA’s 8-hour limit is exactly the same as the NIOSH Limit.Ratio of FEMA to NIOSH std. is: 10 .016 / 0.016 = 1 | FEMA’s limit is exactly 25 times more stringent then HUD’s limit of 0.4 ppm.Ratio of FEMA to HUD std. is: 0.400 / .016 = 25 | FEMA is nearly 47 times more stringent then OSHA’s PEL of 0.75 ppm.Ratio of FEMA to OSHA standard. is: 0.75 / .016 = 46.9 | |
| Exposure Limits- Short Term | none | C 0.1 ppm [15-minute] | none | Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL): The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of formaldehyde which exceeds two parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (2 ppm) as a 15-minute STEL. |
| Recommended Monitoring Methods | Miran SapphIRe infrared spectroscopy analyzer or similar direct-reading electronic instrumentation with data logging. | none | Sampling media: Coated XAD-2 Tube (150/75 mg sections, 20/60 mesh); coating is 10% (w/w) 2-(Hydroxymethyl) piperidine or diffusive sampler. | |
| Additional FEMA Exposure Limitations | Total Volatile Organic Compounds (tVOCs) –Maximum concentration – 500 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/M3)Particulates (PM10) Maximum concentration – 50 μg/M3 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH)* – Maximum concentration – 6.5 μg/M3 | |||
[2] AN UPDATE ON FORMALDEHYDE, 1997 REVISION, U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, DC 20207