Formaldehyde concentrations in the blood of rhesus monkeys after inhalation exposure

The effect of subchronic exposure to formaldehyde (HCHO; 6 ppm; 6 hr/day, 5 days/wk for 4 wk) on the HCHO concentration in the blood of three rhesus monkeys was investigated. Immediately after the final exposure, the monkeys were sedated, and blood samples were withdrawn 7 min after the end of exposure. The HCHO concentration in the blood, determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was 1.84 +/- 0.15 micrograms/g blood and did not differ significantly after a further 45 hr without exposure to HCHO (2.04 +/- 0.40 micrograms/g blood). The average concentration of HCHO in the blood of exposed monkeys was also not significantly different from that of three unexposed controls (2.42 +/- 0.09 micrograms/g blood). However, individual monkeys differed significantly from one another with respect to their blood concentrations of HCHO. These results indicate that subchronic inhalation exposure of non-human primates to HCHO has no significant effect on the HCHO concentration in the blood, and that the average concentration of HCHO in the blood of monkeys is similar to that in the blood of humans.