Formaldehyde is emitted from cars, trucks, planes, industrial facilities and many other sources. It’s also formed in the atmosphere when other chemicals combine in the presence of sunlight. Even if you don’t live in a high-traffic area or an industrial zone, the geography and climate of your area could increase your cancer risk from formaldehyde because of this so-called “secondary formation.” 

Our new lookup tool allows anyone in the country to understand their outdoor risk from formaldehyde. Search for your address to see risks from the chemical on your block and where it comes from.

“Doctors assume that a D&C is not standard in Texas anymore, even in cases where it should be recommended. People are afraid: They see D&C as abortion and abortion as illegal.”

— Dr. Alison Goulding, an OB-GYN in Houston, on the stigma attached to providing miscarriage care under Texas’ abortion ban. Thirty-five-year-old Porsha Ngumezi died after not getting a D&C at a hospital in the state. Her case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.