It is also found in some disinfectant products, in floor coverings or in cigarette smoke. Officially recognized as a carcinogen by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Since 2004, formaldehyde, also known as “formaldehyde”, is a colorless but potent odorous gas.

In addition to being carcinogenic, formaldehyde can also cause cognitive disorders, such as memory or thinking disorders, warn researchers from the University of Montpellier. This research was published in the journal American Academy of Neurology.

The study is based on an analysis of medical data from 75,322 French people aged 58 years on average. Participants’ cognitive function was assessed using a battery of seven cognitive tests aimed at assessing their contextual verbal memory, language skills and executive brain functions.

Increased risk after 22 years of exposure

About 8% of the French on the panel, i.e. more than 6,000 people, were exposed to this chemical during their commercial activity. The people concerned are maintenance workers, caretakers, carpenters or cleaning women. The study authors found that among people exposed to formaldehyde, 17% had an increased risk of cognitive impairment.

In people who have been exposed to this substance for more than 20 years, this risk may also increase to 21%. “Our results underscore the long-term detrimental effect of formaldehyde exposure on cognitive health in a relatively young population,” Scientists concluded.