Formaldehyde Detection Kit (1 Plate)

The DetectX Formaldehyde (HCHO) Fluorescent Detection kit is designed to quantitatively measure formaldehyde present in buffer, tissue culture media and urine samples. A formaldehyde standard is provided to generate a standard curve for the assay. Standards or diluted samples are pipetted into a black microtiter plate. The fluorescent reaction is initiated with the DetectX Formaldehyde reagent. After a short incubation the emission of the generated fluorescent signal is detected in a microtiter plate reader capable of measuring 510nm fluorescence utilizing 450nm excitation wavelength.
Formaldehyde is a toxic, colorless, flammable, strong-smelling gas. Materials containing formaldehyde can release formaldehyde gas or vapor into the air. Formaldehyde can also be released by burning wood, kerosene, natural gas, or cigarettes, from automobile emissions, and from natural processes. Studies have suggested that formaldehyde may affect the lymphatic and blood systems and that exposure to formaldehyde may cause health problems in humans. Industrial workers who help produce formaldehyde or formaldehyde-containing products, laboratory and health care professionals, and mortuary employees may be exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde than the general public. Exposure occurs primarily by inhaling formaldehyde gas or vapor from the air or by absorbing liquids containing formaldehyde through the skin. The National Cancer Institute has determined that there maybe an association between occupational exposure to formaldehyde and an increase in the risk of cancer. Several NCI studies have found that anatomists and embalmers, professions with potential exposure to formaldehyde, are at an increased risk for leukemia and brain cancer compared with the general population. For example, a multi-centered US study determined increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer with formaldehyde exposure.