HOW DOES ACETALDEHYDE AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT?
Effects of acetaldehyde on human health and the environment depend on the amount of acetaldehyde present and the length and frequency of exposure. Effects also depend on the health of a person or the condition of the environment when exposure occurs. Breathing acetaldehyde for short periods of time can irritate the human respiratory system. Acetaldehyde can also adversely affect the cardiovascular system. Contact with acetaldehyde liquid or vapor irritates the skin and the eyes. These effects are not likely to occur at levels of acetaldehyde that are normally found in the environment. Human health effects associated with breathing or otherwise consuming small amounts of acetaldehyde over long periods of time are not known. Limited evidence from animal studies shows that acetaldehyde can adversely affect the developing fetus. Laboratory studies also show that acetaldehyde can severely damage the respiratory tract and cause cancer in animals exposed repeatedly by inhalation. Repeat expos
