Occurrence of formaldehyde exposures in work activities and its diffusion in the Italian industrial context following the notification requirements

Purpose. The aim of this study is to describe data on occupational exposure to formaldehyde in the context of Italian economic activities.
Methods. Measurement data of airborne concentrations (n=26,216) of formaldehyde in the period 1996-2024 were selected from the national register of occupational exposure to carcinogens (Sistema Informativo Registri di Esposizione Professionale, SIREP). Descriptive statistics were calculated for main exposure-related variables. The number of potentially exposed workers was estimated for the best-characterized sectors.
Results. The overall geometric mean was 0.028 mg/m3. Most of the exposure was found in the wood (n=4,912), chemical (n=4,090), and plastic industries (n=3,925). A different distribution of exposure was found according to gender, as women exposures were more common in the healthcare sector. The estimated number of potentially exposed workers in the selected sectors was approximately 100,000.
Conclusions. The implementation of the new European Union (EU) regulation has enhanced the surveillance system, resulting in noteworthy improvements in the monitoring of occupational exposure to formaldehyde.