About Formaldehyde: Quick Formaldehyde Facts

Even simple creatures such as a paramecium use formaldehyde.

• Formaldehyde has been a source of food for simple life forms such as bacteria before man walked the planet. Lots of organisms use it for the carbon it contains. In the process, the simple molecule is broken down to simpler substances such as carbon dioxide. If it's not being munched on by creatures that live in soil and water, sunlight breaks it down through a process known as photodegradation.
• Nearly everything in the plant and animal kingdoms makes formaldehyde at various levels through the complicated process of living. And what the complicated organisms produce, the simple creatures eat.
• The bottom line is that formaldehyde doesn't stick around very long so it doesn't accumulate in the human body or in the environment.