The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has issued a statement about the formaldehyde/methylene glycol “controversy”. You can read a summary of the statement here, and the full statement here. Here’s a couple of key quotes:
The American Chemistry Council‟s Formaldehyde Panel believes that the measurement of the formaldehyde content of any product should take into account all forms of the chemical, including as a gas and in a solution….
…Methylene glycol results when formaldehyde reacts with water. It converts back into formaldehyde gas when it comes in contact with the air. As a result, the methylene glycol effectively becomes a reservoir of formaldehyde gas. Given this dynamic process, the scientific community widely considers methylene glycol as “formaldehyde in solution.” Thus, both formaldehyde gas and formaldehyde reacted in water determine the formaldehyde content of a product.
Thanks to Carmen Drahl for the heads-up on this!