Formaldehyde and Camping - How Dangerous is It?

If you ask one resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia, she will tell you just how dangerous she and her husband believe formaldehyde to be. Three years ago, they bought a new recreational travel trailer because her family spent most of their spring, summer, and fall months camping. They decided a larger trailer with more amenities would be the way to go, especially since they also took their four Chihuahua dogs with them on every trip. Therefore, in 2004, they purchased a brand-new 2005 Forest River Wildwood fifth-wheel travel trailer, believing they would be able to go camping at any time of the year in comfort and safety.

Soon after first using the travel trailer, both began having problems with headaches, respiratory difficulties, and sinus infections after spending a week in the camper; however, at first they had not connected those conditions to the trailer itself. Then, by January 2006, the dogs began to get sick. By May 2007, they had lost three dogs, two from heart and lung illnesses and another one died from bone cancer. When their veterinarian suggested they have the trailer tested, they found out about formaldehyde poisoning.

Initial testing showed the toxic levels in the travel trailer to be 0.119 ppm (parts per million) when the levels considered normal were 0.1 ppm - the level at which EPA and other agencies agree that negative acute health issues can occur. The Virginia State Health Department advised them this result was double what was considered safe. They were referred to a doctor who deals only with people that have been in a toxic environment and which could possibly cause them to become seriously ill or even develop cancer. The couple was also warned to stay out of the trailer, to not use it for any camping or to use anything that had been used or stored inside of it. Two more testing kits showed no improvement in the level of formaldehyde. They had just become one of the many victims of "formaldehyde poisoning".

The symptoms formaldehyde poisoning may produce are numerous and people suffering from them may be unable to work or engage in recreational activities. Formaldehyde may cause several diverse symptoms with one or more of the following: Nosebleeds, seizures, migraines, headaches, coughing, wheezing, pain, dizziness, irritated skin and burns, irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat, difficulty breathing, itching, respiratory problems, pulmonary illnesses with injury, and injury to the gastrointestinal tract. All have all been associated with formaldehyde found in the manufacture of many stick built homes, pre-fabricated and manufactured housing structures, including recreational units. Once sensitized to formaldehyde, individuals appear to be more prone to having additional symptoms in a shorter amount of time.

Formaldehyde is often used as a chemical in embalming and as glue in many building materials and is one of the most used chemicals in the world. Formaldehyde is currently one of the biggest problems found in the FEMA trailers that have been used for victims of hurricanes Rita and Katrina in the past few years. People in other parts of the United States were also developing an assortment of illnesses. Testing of many recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and campers, manufactured by the same people who made the FEMA trailers, found formaldehyde levels far exceeding what is considered safe. Formaldehyde can cause cancer and it has been classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It has also been listed as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During their research, the family found out that the CDC testing of air quality in FEMA trailers in 2008 revealed Pilgrim, Gulf Stream, Keystone, and Forest River trailers as the worst offenders. They also found that their camper was not covered for any health issues arising out of the levels of formaldehyde. Airing out the camper, as suggested by the manufacturer, did not lessen the levels of formaldehyde. In fact, during the summer, the levels were even higher due to the out-gassing of formaldehyde from the materials used to build the camper from the heat and humidity.

After numerous emails, regular mail, and telephone calls, the family has been very frustrated in not being able to either get the Forest River manufacturer to fix the problem or take the trailer back or refund their purchase price. Their agent, who runs a large local Forest River dealership, has tried to help with little success and is angry himself with the company. He told the family there may not even be a "safe camper".

Currently, there are few standards for using materials containing formaldehyde in any building with the exception of mobile homes. However, some states and at least two congressional committees are studying the problem of formaldehyde in recreational vehicles. It is hoped that these new investigations could lead to stricter formaldehyde standards. In the meantime, this Virginia family is stuck with an expensive, but unusable toy in their yard.

In Iowa, FEMA has agreed to retest formaldehyde levels in the trailers. Previous testing had been done with a view to wards low readings and was not done to mimic actual effects on people living in them. Attorneys in New Orleans, LA are working to combine cases involving FEMA trailers into a class action lawsuit, which could span over thousands of individual cases over touching and breathing the potentially dangerous fumes from the use of shoddy materials that began out-gassing formaldehyde. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt also held that the federal government is not entitled to immunity from these cases because evidence exists that shows FEMA delayed testing even after complaints were being made. Why would they delay testing? Because they knew, they may be held legally responsible. Others, like the Virginia family, are seeking information on how to file against these same manufacturers of FEMA trailers for the same reasons.

If you believe you are suffering from illnesses caused by formaldehyde, contact your doctor and your state or local health department immediately. Research the problem of formaldehyde in recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and campers on the Internet. One site with a great deal of comprehensive information is Toxic Trailers at http://www.toxictrailers.org/.

To file a complaint about formaldehyde in a mobile home, go to HUD's manufactured housing complaint page: www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/mhs/mhssaa.cfm.

The OSHA Formaldehyde Fact Sheet found at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/formaldehyde-factsheet.pdf tells what employers are required to do about handling formaldehyde and keeping records on exposure of employees to the chemical.

More information on the government Oversite Committees can found found at http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1751.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information on formaldehyde at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/formaldehyde/index.html.

Sources:

KGAN TV Videos

Attorneys seek class action in FEMA trailers suit

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