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NOV 3 1982 <br />FORMALDEHYDE SYMPOSIUM REPORT <br />Attorney Brandenburg reviewed the following memorandum <br />with the Board: <br />-TO: Board of County <br />Commissioners of <br />Indian River County <br />FROM: Gary M. Brandenburg <br />County Attorney <br />DATE: October 27, 1982 FILE: <br />SUBJECT: Formaldehyde Symposium <br />REFERENCES: <br />I recently attended the annual Formaldehyde Symposium organized by <br />the Professional Consultants in Occupational Health, Inc. held in <br />Washington, D. C. on October 22nd through October 23rd. Gathered <br />at the symposium were approximately 350 individuals who, because of <br />their background, have some expertise in formaldehyde issues. - <br />Included in the participants were medical doctors, scientists, <br />researchers, technicians, executives of industry involved in <br />formaldehyde research and lawyers who have had experience handling <br />formaldehyde related matters. These experts were representative of <br />all parts of the United States and portions of Europe. <br />This symposium was excellent and certainly worthwhile. I received <br />a wealth of material that is comprehensive on formaldehyde related <br />issues and met with and discussed Indian River County's situation <br />with several of the leading experts in attendance. I also accumu- <br />lated sources for further information on the issues and names of <br />individuals who could serve as expert witnesses for Indian River <br />County should we ever become involved in litigation on this issue. <br />All materials I have accumulated are available for review at your <br />leisure in my office. However, I would like to point out some of <br />the pertinent information and particular articles that I believe <br />relate to the situation in the Courthouse. As you will see, much <br />of the information is medically or scientifically oriented and I do <br />not pretend to have any expertise in these areas; however, I can <br />report the opinions and conclusions of those individuals in atten- <br />dance at the symposium that are experts, <br />Formaldehyde is a normal metabolite found in the human body at low <br />concentrations and is'essential to some'biochemical'processes in <br />the body, namely the decomposition of peroxides by catalase. An <br />important aspect of the chemical in relation to the human body is <br />that the liver breaks the chemical down very quickly and disposes <br />of the substance. It is eliminated from the blood in about one to <br />two minutes. This is important because there is no bioaccumulation <br />in the body whatsoever. <br />Formaldehyde has long been determined to be an irritant at higher <br />concentrations. When the substance is placed directly on the skin <br />during a patch test, it will create a positive response in almost <br />all individuals.(i.e. contact dermititus). Consequently, a <br />Positive response in a patch test is not by -itself indicative of <br />any hypersensitivity to the chemical. Furthermore, in many <br />instances formalin not formaldehyde is used to conduct such patch <br />