Lake Charles
Regional News

Jul 2, 2008 - Source: cdc.gov
A final report just issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention identifies particle board as the main source of potentially harmful formaldehyde fumes in trailers issued to Gulf Coast storm victims by FEMA. Formaldehyde is a preservative that can cause breathing problems and which has also been linked to the causation of cancer. In February, the CDC said that tests conducted on hundreds of FEMA trailers issued to Hurricane Katrina victims detected potentially dangerous levels of formaldehyde in many units, prompting additional study.

In many trailers and mobile homes formaldehyde levels were higher than usual in indoor air in most homes in the United States. Average levels of formaldehyde in all travel trailers and mobile homes were about 77 parts per billion (ppb). Formaldehyde levels were different in different types of mobile homes and travel trailers, but all types tested had some high levels. At levels found in some trailers and mobile homes, formaldehyde exposure could affect health.

Based on what was found and on scientific reports about health effects linked with formaldehyde exposure, CDC recommended that FEMA move residents of the Gulf Coast area displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita out of travel trailers and mobile homes. CDC further recommended that people with symptoms that could be linked to formaldehyde and vulnerable populations such as children, elderly, and individuals with chronic diseases be moved first.