PBS News Hour

MANY OF US KNOW FORMALDEHYDE AS THAT CLEAR CHEMICAL WITH A POWERFUL SMELL THAT PERMEATES HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY LABS.

IT IS FOUND JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY IN YOUR HOMES AND OFFICES RIGHT NOW: COMPOSITE LUMBER, PLASTICS, PAINTS, AND GLUES.

THIS PAST WEEK, THE EPA EVALUATION SAID IT POSES AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH.

LAST MONTH, A PROPUBLICA INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT IT CAUSES FAR MORE CANCER THAN ANY OTHER AIRBORNE POLLUTANTS.

AND CRITICS SAY NOT ENOUGH IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THE RISK.

WE MENTIONED SOME OF THE PLACES.

HOW PERVASIVE IS FORMALDEHYDE?

>> IT IS INCREDIBLY PERVASIVE.

IT IS ESSENTIALLY UBIQUITOUS.

INDOORS, THE CONCENTRATION IS PARTICULARLY HIGH BECAUSE LOTS OF PRODUCTS DO THAT.

IT IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE OUTDOORS.

THE EPA ANALYZES TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS AND ESTIMATES FOR CANCER RISK FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.

IDEALLY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO LIMIT THE EXPOSURE TO THESE CHEMICALS SO THAT THEY CAUSE NO MORE THAN ONE CASE OF CANCER IN EVERY MILLION PEOPLE EXPOSED.

FOR MOST OF THE DOZENS OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS, THAT IS THE CASE.

FORMALDEHYDE CAUSES MORE CANCER THAN ANY OF THEM BY FAR.

SO ACCORDING TO THE EPA NUMBERS, IT IS MORE THAN 20 CANCERS PER MILLION PEOPLE.

BUT WE FOUND IN OUR INVESTIGATION WITH THE EPA ACKNOWLEDGED TO US WAS THIS IS AN UNDERESTIMATE.

THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 77 CASES OF CANCER IN A MILLION PEOPLE.

ANCHOR: IS THE EPA DOING ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE DANGER EVEN AT THE LEVEL THEY SAY THAT IT IS?

>> THEY COULD DO MORE, FOR SURE.

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE LIMITS THEY PUT ON THE CHEMICAL.

THEY NEED TO FIND UNREASONABLE RISK.

DESPITE ALL THE FORMALDEHYDE, THEY FOUND NO UNREASONABLE RISK.

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SITUATIONS WHERE THEY DID NOT FIND UNREASONABLE RISK.

THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS THAT THEY WERE POINTING AT.

WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

ANCHOR: YOU MENTIONED FORMALDEHYDE OUTDOORS.

THE AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL RESPONDED TO THE STORY AND SAID IT IGNORED THE FACT THAT FORMALDEHYDE DISSIPATES QUICKLY AND SUNLIGHT.

THEY FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL FORMALDEHYDE IN THE OUTSIDE AIR COMES FROM NATURAL BIOGENIC SOURCES.

>> IN TERMS OF THE SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE, THERE ARE BIOGENIC SOURCES.

WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE ARTICLE.

THAT MEANS SOURCES THAT COME FROM NATURE.

THOSE SOURCES ARE GREATLY AMPLIFIED.

POLLUTION FROM MANUFACTURING CLASS IS MEASURED BY THE EPA.

I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD SAY THAT IS INCORRECT.

OUR REPORTING IS CORRECT.

ANCHOR: IS THERE ANY INDICATION OF THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL APPROACH REGULATION OF FORMALDEHYDE ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN IT IS BEING DEALT WITH NOW?

>> WE KNOW FROM THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHEN THEY ROLLED BACK MANY ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND RULES, THEY LIKE TO TAKE A MORE INDUSTRY FRIENDLY STANCE.

EVERYTHING HE S SD ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL MAKES US THINK HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THIS.

PETE SESSIONS, A STAUNCH ALLY OF TRUMP, WROTE A LETTER TO THE EPA SAYING HE WANTS TO FOCUS ON REVISITING WHAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DID ON FORMALDEHYDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THEY ARE ALREADY FOCUSED ON HOW TO DO THIS.

ANCHOR: I KNOW YOU HAVE ALSO PUBLISHED STORIES TELLING PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN LIMIT EXPOSURE TO FORMALDEHYDE.

>> YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS ON YOUR PRODUCTS.

SOMETIMES PRODUCTS WILL HAVE LABELS ABOUT WHETHER THEY DO OR DO NOT HAVE FORMALDEHYDE.

THE BEST WAY WHEN YOU GET NEW PRODUCTS IS THEY EMIT A LOT OF FORMALDEHYDE IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS.

THE OTHER THING IS TO KEEP YOUR WINDOWS OPEN WHEN YOU CAN.

ANCHOR: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.