Is Your Kitchen Making You Sick?

If you were one of the many high school students that participated in the frog experiment, then you probably remember the smell of formaldehyde. This same chemical that is used to preserve the frogs can be found in many consumer products. While illegal to sell in the European Union and many Asian countries, products containing formaldehyde continue to be sold in the US.

Formaldehyde is the leading cause of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), also known as Environmental Illness. Over 15% of the population suffers from MCS but most have no idea. MCS develops gradually as a person is repeatedly exposed to chemicals. It is difficult to detect because unlike most diseases there isn’t a test you can take.

To make matters worse, MCS is usually misdiagnosed because damage can occur in any system of the body. In particular, it affects any of the body’s systems that are currently in a weakened state. For example, if someone has been repeatedly exposed to cigarette smoke or smog, then the lungs are in a weakened state and most likely, the formaldehyde will have a heightened affect on the respiratory system. Since any system can be affected, symptoms can be as mild as headaches, fatigue, sleep interruptions, memory loss, diarrhea and skin rashes or more debilitating symptoms such as panic attacks, asthma, seizures, autism and cancer.

Formaldehyde is the most prevalent of the dangerous petroleum based chemicals (also known as Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s) found on the market and has become the leading cause of MCS. The kitchen is the number one source of formaldehyde found in the home!

Industry standard cabinets are constructed with wood containing formaldehyde. These products release formaldehyde gas for up to 8 years. Newly constructed & remodeled homes usually have levels 2-3 times higher than the government’s acceptable limit even 3 years after the construction. Numerous Hurricane Katrina victims living in newly constructed homes have developed MCS, thus prompting the EPA to declare that “there are no safe levels of formaldehyde exposure.”

Food stored in or near these cabinets can absorb the “off-gassed” formaldehyde, contaminating even the healthiest of foods. Extreme heat or humidity, like cabinets near a stove or dishwasher, can emit even more formaldehyde. The kitchen is the heart of the home, it should be a safe place to breathe, eat & live.

To reduce exposure to formaldehyde, make sure that you purchase formaldehyde free cabinetry, such as the custom cabinetry from Bradco Kitchens and Baths. If you are purchasing a product that does not state that it is formaldehyde free, it probably isn’t. Companies that have taken the effort to provide safe, non-toxic products want you to know it and advertise it.

For more information, on formaldehyde free cabinetry, contact Bradco Kitchens & Baths at (323) 936-3457 or visit their showroom at 6011 West Pico Blvd, LA 90036 (at the corner of Pico and Crescent Heights.