Cellular and mutagenic effects of formaldehyde in mammalian cells

Formaldehyde, a widely used industrial chemical and environmental pollutant, is classified as a human carcinogen due to its association with nasopharyngeal cancer and myeloid leukemia. Despite these links, its cellular effects remain poorly understood. This study demonstrates that formaldehyde exposure induces centrosome and microtubule defects, suggesting compromised mitosis and altered nuclear DNA content. Additionally, a five-fold increase in mutant frequency was observed, implicating enhanced mutational events in its mutagenicity. These findings highlight formaldehyde’s potential to promote genomic instability through disrupted ploidy and increased mutation rates, providing insight into its carcinogenic mechanisms and public health implications.