Based on the results of the investigation and laboratory testing of the Central Drugs and Food

Control (POM) in Jakarta, found a number of food products such as salted fish, wet noodles, and
know that using formalin as a preservative. Berformalin food product is sold in some markets
and supermarkets in the area of DKI Jakarta, Banten, Bogor, and Bekasi. There is material aditif
and dangerous preservative in food is actually a long-secret. But the problem is again a classic
warm end of the discussion this year because of the findings of Central POM. This fact is made
public that there is a danger that threatens the health formalin derived from consumption of food
daily.
Formalin is a commercial solution with the concentration of 10-40% of formaldehid. This
material is usually used as an antiseptic, germisida, and preservative. Formalin has many
chemical names are: Formol, Methylene aldehyde, Paraforin, Morbicid, Oxomethane,
Polyoxymethylene glycols, Methanal, Formoform, Superlysoform, Formic aldehyde, Formalith,
Tetraoxymethylene, methyl oxide, Karsan, Trioxane, Oxymethylene and Methylene glycol. In
the market, formalin can be found in the form that has been diluted, with the uterus formaldehid
10-40 percent.
Formalin IN DAILY LIFE
Formalin is very commonly used in daily life. In the industrial sector is very much useful
formalin. Formaldehid has many benefits, such as anti-bacteria or bacteria so that the murderer
used for cleaning floors, ships, warehouses and clothing, fly repellent, and various other insects.
In the world of photography biasaya used for the gelatin layer and paper. Making material in the
form of urea fertilizer, the product of making perfume, preservative cosmetics products, and nail
the material to foam insulation. Formalin is also used as a corrosion prevention for oil wells .. In
the industry as a wood adhesive material for plywood products (Plywood). Yag in concentration
is very small (<1 percent) is used as a preservative for a variety of consumer goods such as
household cleaning, dish washing liquids, pelembut, nurse shoes, car shampoo, wax and carpet.
In the fishing industry, formalin is used to eliminate the bacteria that normally live in the shell
fish. Formalin is known to use and often effective in the treatment of disease due to fish such as
fluke and ektoparasit slimy skin. However, this material is also highly toxic to fish. Safe
threshold is very low, sometimes sehinggga fish treated even death due to disease as a result of
formalin. Formalin is used in curing many specimen fish for research purposes and
identification. Formalin in the medical world are used for curing human corpses to be used in
medical student education. Is usually used for preservation with formalin concentration of 10%.
The amount of benefits in the industry this was abused for food canning industry. Usually this is
often found in the home industry, because they are not registered and does not terpantau by
MOH and the local Central POM. Food is preserved with formalin is usually wet noodles, know,
meatball, salted fish and some other food. Formalin is a solution that is not very colorful and
baunya puncture. In formalin are about 37 percent formaldehid in the water, as a preservative is
usually added metanol to 15 percent. If not given a preservative in foods such as noodles or wet
often can not hold in more than 12 hours.
Formaldehid also be used for chemical reactions that can form a polymer bond, where the result
is one of the product cause the color to be brighter. So that the formalin used in the plastics
industry. the making of artificial silk, coloring substances, mirror glass. So formalin also used in
many household products such as plates, glasses and bowls that come from plastic or melamine.
When the plates and glasses are exposed to heat food or minutan the materials found in formalin
will dissolve glass. From the research results of water and stew brought to the Laboratory of
Chemistry, University of Indonesia, this is the results obtained, that the womb formalin in almost
all the products examined, the womb is very high between formalin 4.76 9.22 milligram per liter.
Goods when used in cold conditions is not dangerous. But very dangerous if the container-vessel
is used to put hot food such as tea, coffee, or hot food.
DANGER formalin exposure
Formalin into the human body through two-way, the mouth and respiratory. In fact, every day we
breathe in formalin from the surrounding environment. Pollution generated by factory smoke and
exhaust, which contains formalin would not want us hirup, and then into the body. Cigarette
smoke or rain water that falls to the earth is actually also contain formalin.
Formalin is very dangerous if breathe, on the skin and swallowed. Incurred as a result can be:
burns on the skin, irritation to the respiratory tract, allergic reactions and cancer risk in humans.
If the fetus in the body high, the chemical will react with almost all substances in the cells, so
that the function of cells and cause cell death, which caused damage to the organs. Formalin is a
substance that is karsinogenik or can cause cancer. Some of the research on rats and dogs of a
certain dose of formalin in a meaningful long-term cause of cancer such as adenocarcinoma
digested channel pylorus, preneoplastic hyperplasia pylorus and adenocarcinoma duodenum.
Research other pengingkatan mention faring the risk of cancer (throat), sinus and nasal cavum
(nose) in the textile workers due to exposure formalin pull through.
Few in number, akan formalin dissolved in water, and will be thrown out with the body fluids.
So difficult to detect formalin in the presence of blood. Body’s immunity is not involved in
impact formalin in the body. If low body immunity, or lower body defense mechanism, it is
possible formalin with low degree can a bad impact on health. Age, especially infants and
children under five is one of the vulnerable for the inconvenience. The mechanical integrity
mukosa (surface) and peristaltic bowel (bowel movement) is the inclusion of protective foreign
substances into the body. The chemical and acid stomach enzyme digestion denaturasi cause
these dangerous substances. The imunologik Siga (sekretori Imunoglobulin A) on the surface of
the mukosa and limfosit the lamina propia can prevent foreign substances into the body. At the
age of the child, bowel imatur (not perfect) or the body’s defense system is still weak and failed
to function to facilitate hazardous materials into the body difficult to exclude. This also will be
more people on the channel interference is dissolved as in the chronic sufferer autism, people
with allergies and so forth.
According to IPCS (International Program on Chemical Safety), the general threshold safe in the
body is 1 milligram per liter. IPCS is a special institution of the three organizations in the UN,
the ILO, UNEP, and WHO, who specialize in the use of chemical safety. When formalin into the
body exceeds the threshold tgersebut it can cause interference on the organ system and the
human body. Incurred as a result can occur in a short time or short-term and long-term, we can
pull through, direct contact or swallowed.
Due to the short term that usually occur when exposed to formalin in the number of lots, alerts
and symptoms of acute or short-term that can happen is sneezing, tonsil inflammation, sore
throat, chest pain, over, tired, heart pulse, headache, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. At a very
high concentration can cause death.
When formalin terhirup cause irritation to the nose and throat, trouble breathing, feel a burn on
the nose and throat and cough-cough. Damage the network system can disrupt the respiratory
tract the lung form of pneumonia (inflammation tuberculosis) or paru edema (swelling
tuberculosis). When exposed skin can cause changes in color, the skin becomes red, indurate,
numb feeling and have a burn. When exposed to the eyes can cause irritation of the eyes so that
the squeeze, it’s sick, gata-itching, blurred vision and tear issue. When the material is a high-
concentrate the formalin can cause tears of the great and the damage occurred on the lens.
If swallowed the mouth, throat and stomach feel a burn, pain swallow, nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea, the possibility of bleeding occurs, a great stomach pain, headache, hipotensi (low blood
pressure), convulsions, coma not to realize. In addition, damage can also occur heart, heart,
brain, spleen, pancreas, nerve center of the system layout and kidney. Although small in number,
in the long-term formalin can also lead to more interference organs. When breathe in the long
term it will cause headaches, headaches disturbances, respiratory disturbances, cough-cough,
sore nose, mucous, nausea, sleepy, and kidney injury in the sensitasi tuberculosis. Interference
neuropsikologis brain effects include sleep disturbance, quick-tempered, emotional disturbances,
disturbed balance, loss of concentration, mind power is reduced and other harmful behavior. In
the long term can happen sterility and menstrual disturbances in women. Cancer in the nose,
ronggga nose, mouth, throat, tuberculosis, and the brain can also occur.
When skin is exposed, the skin feels hot, numb, itch, itch, and ruddy, the damage to the finger
hands, stiffening the skin and sensitivity on the skin, and dermatitis occur that cause bubbles. If
the affected eye, the most prominent risk is the occurrence of peritonitis. If swallowed will cause
irritation to the respiratory tract, vomiting and headache dizziness, feeling a burn in the throat, a
decrease in body temperature and itchiness in the chest.
HANDLING IF exposure to formalin
When exposed to sniff or contact directly affected by formalin, early action needs to be done is
avoid the exposure of patients to a safe place. When people are crowded, if berkatup need to use
a mask or similar equipment to perform artificial respiration. When skin is exposed to remove
the clothing, jewelry and shoes with formalin. Wash the skin for 15-20 minutes with a soft soap
or detergent and water, and ascertained that no more material remaining in the skin. In the
section that burned, protected wound yag clothing with dry, sterile and loose. Rinse eyes with
running water is enough, while many eyes dikedip-kedipkan. Make sure there is no more the rest
of the eye in formalin. Aliri the solution with salt solution with 0.9 percent (seujung teaspoon salt
dilarutkan in a glass of water) are constantly until the patient is ready to go to hospital or to the
doctor. When consumed immediately or drink susu norit to reduce the absorption of these
harmful substances. If necessary please contact your doctor immediately or brought to the
hospital.
The more difficult is monitoring long-term side effects. Usually this occurs due to exposure to
small amounts of formalin. In the short term consequences that are often caused no symptoms or
very mild symptoms. Period of time new symptoms and disturbances arise.
HOW TO RESPONSE?
The issue of formalin is in the food and cutlery Sehar-to-day this should diwaspadai. But should
not be excessive disikapi. Not mean that we should not eat at all know, meat ball, noodles or wet
salted fish. Or we do not have to avoid plastic or melamine material for our cutlery. Because not
all the food or the cutlery in the formalin. Important that consumers should pay attention to the
beautiful quality of food and food equipment purchased or used. To cutlery comes from
melamine plastic or, if easy to faint or weak, it means a lot of material that terkikis the product
such as this should be avoided. If you are not sure of the quality melamine products that you
have, should not use tools to eat the food and hot drinks. For cold food, is usually not dangerous.
Formalin is a polymer formed in the cold conditions it is difficult to unravel. In mengonsumsi
food we need to find foods that contain formalin. If you hold out until many days, very chewy
and dense may contain formalin. In fact, foods that contain formalin has a unique smell, so it can
be detected even by layman.
Prevention of direct exposure to the formalin should be done, especially for industrial workers
who use formalin. Terhirup not to use respiratory protective equipment, such as masks, cloth or
other tools that can prevent the possible entry of formalin into the nose or mouth. Complete
system with penghisap air ventilation (exhaust fan) the explosion-resistant. Use protective eye
glasses or are resistant to the spray. Provide tap water to wash the eyes in the workplace, which
is useful when an emergency occurs. Prevention of exposure on the skin should use gloves and
chemical protective clothing resistant to the chemicals. Avoid eating, drinking and smoking
during work or washing hands before eating.
Although its impact is very dangerous if accumulated in the body, it is very unwise if not
prohibit the use of formalin. Many industries require formalin so that should be wise in using it.
The main is not to use it with the food, because there is still a safe food preservative. Department
of health or the POM and its related institutions should supervise closely and continuously in this
issue.