Formaldehyde Fears

Data on the links between ALS and the chemical have been contradictory, but the latest study suggests undertakers are at risk.

Written byJef Akst

| 4 min read

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In April 2009, epidemiologist Marc Weisskopf of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues came across a puzzling correlation as they were looking for links between the neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and exposure to 11 different chemical classes. They analyzed mortality data from a sample of more than 1 million people involved in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II. While the researchers found little evidence of a link between ALS and most of the chemicals they examined, one did raise a red flag: formaldehyde, a compound commonly used in funeral homes and medical laboratories. Those participants who reported being regularly exposed to the chemical were more than twice as likely to die from ALS, compared to ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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