FEMA slow to safety test Katrina toxic trailers, Charles Babington,
Associated Press -- 1 ppm formaldehyde in air is about half the daily
dose from 3 cans aspartame diet soda and ten times the 1999 EPA alarm
level for drinking water: Murray 2007.07.23
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1455


" Paulison said FEMA received "just over 200 complaints of strange
odors including formaldehyde" in trailers and that 58 trailers were
replaced "because of formaldehyde concerns."

Occupants of five other trailers were moved to apartments, he said.

Several lawmakers said FEMA should have seen the 200 complaints as a
sign of a much wider problem. "


1 ppm formaldehyde in air is half the daily dose
from 3 cans aspartame diet soda
and ten times the 1999 EPA alarm level for drinking water.

J. D. Trasher et al in 1990 found many symptoms
in 19 mobile home residents,
living with 0.05 to 0.5 ppm formaldehyde.

" The patients in our study had symptoms and complaints
related to several organs, as described previously, (4,5,9)
which were similar to symptoms
of workers with multiple chemical sensitivity,(11) cacosmia,(12)
and other chemical exposures. (13-15)

We report on the differences in
humoral and cell-mediated immunity in humans with long-term inhalation
exposure to HCHO vs. asymptomatic students (controls) who experienced
short-term, periodic exposure to the chemical. "

" All patients in this study
had sought continuous medical attention
because of multiple organ symptoms
involving the central nervous system (CNS)
(headaches, memory loss, difficulty completing tasks, dizziness),
upper- and lower-respiratory symptoms,
skeletal-muscle complaints,
and gastroenteritis.

Three common symptoms were expressed:
(1) and initial flu-like illness
from which they had not fully recovered;
(2) chronic fatigue,
and (3) an olfactory sensitivity to ambient conditions
containing low concentrations of chemicals. (4,9,11) "

" (2.) Mobile home residents consisted
of 19 patients (6 males, 13 females, mean age 41 +-20 y)
who currently lived in mobile homes.

The patients had lived in their environments for 2-7 y
and reported multiple symptoms. (4,9)

Measured HCHO concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 ppm
at the time blood samples were taken. "


FEMA found 1.2 ppm formaldehyde in April 2005
in one of over 120,000 mobile homes
supplied for recent hurricane victims --
75 times more than the
0.016 level set for 8-hour working days
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
for workers to be required to wear respirators.


http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/tac/appendxc.htm

1 ppm FA in air = 1.23 mg/cubic meter, so breathing 20 cubic meters
would retain about 20 mg FA daily, ten times the 1999 EPA alarm level
for drinking water.

Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame, provide similar levels
of methanol,
above 120 mg daily, for long-term heavy users, 2 L daily, about 6
cans.

Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into formaldehyde,
and thence largely into formic acid -- the major causes of the dreaded
symptoms of "next morning" hangover.

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame in 2 L diet
soda,
almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol).
If 30% of the methanol is turned into formaldehyde,
the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg, is 18.5 times the USA EPA limit for
daily formaldehyde in drinking water, 2.0 mg in 2 L average daily
drinking water.

Medicine has to consider that the many sources of methanol and
formaldehyde are additive co-factors.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid)
are main cause of alcohol hangover symptoms
[same as from similar amounts of methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]:
YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec: Murray 2006.01.20

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition:
Bouchard M et al, full plain text, 2001:
substantial sources are degradation of fruit pectins,
liquors, aspartame, smoke: Murray 2005.04.02

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1454
recent research and news re aspartame and stevia: Murray 2007.07.19


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/915
formaldehyde toxicity: Thrasher & Kilburn: Shaham: EPA: Gold:
Wilson: CIIN: Murray 2002.12.12

Thrasher (2001): "The major difference is that the Japanese
demonstrated the incorporation of FA and its metabolites
into the placenta and fetus.
The quantity of radioactivity remaining in maternal and fetal tissues
at 48 hours was 26.9 % of the administered dose." [ Ref. 14-16 ]

Arch Environ Health 2001 Jul-Aug; 56(4): 300-11.
Embryo toxicity and teratogenicity of formaldehyde. [100 references]
Thrasher JD, Kilburn KH. toxicology@...
Sam-1 Trust, Alto, New Mexico, USA.
http://www.drthrasher.org/formaldehyde_embryo_toxicity.html full text


http://www.drthrasher.org/formaldehyde_1990.html full text
Jack Dwayne Thrasher, Alan Broughton, Roberta Madison.
Immune activation and autoantibodies in humans
with long-term inhalation exposure to formaldehyde.
Archives of Environmental Health. 1990; 45: 217-223.
"Immune activation, autoantibodies, and anti-HCHO-HSA antibodies
are associated with long-term formaldehyde inhalation."
PMID: 2400243

Arch Environ Health 1990 Jul-Aug;45(4):217-23
Immune activation and autoantibodies in humans
with long-term inhalation exposure to formaldehyde.
Thrasher JD, Broughton A, Madison R.
Thrasher & Associates, Northridge, California.

Four groups of patients with long-term inhalation exposure to
formaldehyde (HCHO) were compared with controls who had short-term
periodic exposure to HCHO.

The following were determined for all
groups: total white cell, lymphocyte, and T cell counts;
T helper/suppressor ratios; total Ta1+, IL2+, and B cell counts;
antibodies to
formaldehyde-human serum albumin (HCHO-HSA) conjugate and
autoantibodies.

When compared with the controls, the patients had
significantly higher antibody titers to HCHO-HSA.

In addition, significant increases in Ta1+, IL2+, and B cells and
autoantibodies were observed.

Immune activation, autoantibodies, and anti-HCHO-HSA
antibodies are associated with long-term formaldehyde inhalation.
PMID: 2400243

http://www.drthrasher.org/formaldehyde_1990.html
Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D. toxicology@...
Sam-1 Trust, P.O. Box 874, Alto, New Mexico 88312
(505) 336-8312 fax (425) 675-7379

http://www.aal.xohost.com/allabout.htm
Alan Broughton, MD, PhD inquire@...
AAL Reference Laboratories, Inc.[formerly Antibody Assay Laboratories]
1715 E. Wilshire #715 Santa Ana, Ca 92705
(714)972-9979 Fax: (714)543-2034
(800)522-2611(US and Canada) - Physicians Only Please

Roberta Madison, D.P.H. roberta.madison@...
Dept. Health Science, California State University
Northridge, California
(818)-677-2969 fax (818) 677-3977

[Extracts}
Inhalation exposure to formaldehyde (HCHO)
is associated with symptoms of irritation to mucous membranes, (1,2)
chronic health problems
(e.g.asthma) (2),
nasopharyngeal cancer, (3)
and multiple subjective health complaints. (4,5) )

Recent observations have shown that both humoral-and cell-mediated
immunologic mechanisms occur in humans
with long-term HCHO exposure.

Antibodies of all isotypes to HCHO conjugated human
serum albumin (HCHO-HSA) are demonstrable in HCHO anaphylaxis, (6)
hemodialysis patients, (7)
mobile home residents, (4)
persons with occupational exposures, (5,8)
office workers, (9)
and in person in other environments. (4)

In addition, changes in cell-mediated immunity include increases in
eosinophils, basophils, and T-suppressor cells
following acute exposure of patients with HCHO asthma. (10)

Moreover, individuals with multiple subjective health complaints
associated with long-term HCHO inhalation
have evidence of immune activation
and the presence of autoantibodies. (4,5)

The patients in our study had symptoms and complaints
related to several organs, as described previously, (4,5,9)
which were similar to symptoms
of workers with multiple chemical sensitivity,(11) cacosmia,(12)
and other chemical exposures. (13-15)

We report on the differences in
humoral and cell-mediated immunity in humans
with long-term inhalation exposure to HCHO
vs. asymptomatic students (controls)
who experienced short-term, periodic exposure to the chemical.

Materials and Methods

Controls and patients.
Five groups of subjects exposed to HCHO,
who gave informed consent, were included in this study. (1).

Controls consisted of students of chiropractic medicine
(16 males, 12 females, mean age = 29 +- 9 y),
exposed to HCHO for 13 h/wk
for 28 wk while studying human anatomy.

Immunologic tests were performed 12 mo
following the last classroom exposure.

No measurements of HCHO concentrations were made.

It is assumed that classroom ambient concentrations
were at least 0.43 ppm. (1)

The students stated that during exposure
they experienced eye, nose and throat irritation
and that there was a pungent odor of HCHO.

They did not have residual health complaints (symptoms),
and they were asymptomatic at the time blood was taken.

(2.) Mobile home residents consisted
of 19 patients (6 males, 13 females, mean age 41 +-20 y)
who currently lived in mobile homes.

The patients had lived in their environments for 2-7 y
and reported multiple symptoms. (4,9)

Measured HCHO concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 ppm
at the time blood samples were taken.

(3.) Office workers included 21 patients
(5 males, 16 females, mean age of 40 +-10 y)
who worked in new office buildings
where there was inadequate ventilation (closed buildings).

The patients had multiple health complaints. (9)

It was determined from medical histories that their symptoms
commenced with employment,
waned when away from work (i.e., weekends, holidays, vacations)
and became worse upon return to work.

No HCO measurements were done;
however, closed buildings have ambient concentrations
ranging from 0.01 to 0.77 ppm. (1,16) (4.)

This group included 21 patients
(10 males, 11 females, mean age of 35 + -17 y)
who had multiple symptoms and who had been
removed from their original sources of HCHO exposure
(mobile homes and/or particleboard subflooring) for at least 1 y.

The HCHO concentrations measured during their exposures
ranged from 0.14 to 0.81 ppm.

(5.) Occupationally exposed patients
(6 males, 2 females, mean age of 45 + -11 y)
had HCHO exposures from the following:
biology and human anatomy classes,
mortuary,
pathology,
physical therapy,
formica furniture (particleboard),
and carbonless copy paper.

Information on six of these patients was previously published. (5)

Symptoms.

All patients in this study
had sought continuous medical attention
because of multiple organ symptoms
involving the central nervous system (CNS)
(headaches, memory loss, difficulty completing tasks, dizziness),
upper- and lower-respiratory symptoms,
skeletal-muscle complaints,
and gastroenteritis.

Three common symptoms were expressed:
(1) and initial flu-like illness
from which they had not fully recovered;
(2) chronic fatigue,
and (3) an olfactory sensitivity to ambient conditions
containing low concentrations of chemicals. (4,9,11)

One of the students smoked cigarettes (1 pack/d),
whereas the remainder and all patients were nonsmokers.

No attempt was made to correlate the immunological data
with histories of allergies and/or atopy.

Previous efforts to make this correlation
have led to negative findings. (4,5,9)

Higher anti-HCHO-HSA isotypes (i.e, 1:16 or greater)
are present in the patients v. controls.

One explanation for this difference
is simply the lag time
between the last exposure v. the time of antibody detection.

However, the higher titers of IgE and IgM isotypes
in the patients
suggests that a more recent exposure has occurred,
particularly if the higher IgG titers are considered also.

In this vein, the patients
complain of a sensitivity (both olfactory and respiratory)
to environments containing low concentrations of HCHO and other
chemicals.

Thus, the higher titers may indicate that their immune systems
are on constant alert,
undergoing continuous activation upon encountering and
recognizing environmental haptens. (4-6,8,9)

It would be of interest to examine for other haptens
to which the patients may be responding. (9)

The higher antibody titers and the larger proportion
of individuals with anti-HCHO isotypes in the
removed patients v. controls merit comment.

Both groups were at least 1 y removed
from their original source of exposure.

However, the controls were asymptomatic,
whereas the patients experienced ongoing health problems
associated with environmental exposures,
e.g. new carpets, fresh paints, new furnishings,
diesel exhaust, and perfumes.

Thus, it appears that long-term low-level
exposure to HCHO, and possibly other haptens,
lead to immunological recognition
and immune activation in sensitized individuals.

Apparently, shorter periodic exposure to HCHO
may lead to recognition but not necessarily immune activation.

Moreover, chronic low-level exposures to HCHO appear to effect
a sensitivity to environmental chemicals.(4-6, 8,9)

Perhaps the anti-HCHO-HSA isotypes in these patients
is but one aspect of a multiple immunologic response
to environmental exposures as observed
in building-related illness. (9)

It is recognized that chemicals and therapeutic drugs
are associated with a Lupus-like syndrome. (28,29 )

The observations made on the
patients in this study support this concept.

The percentage of specific autoantibodies
(e.g., ASS, APC, ANA, etc.) are consistently higher in
the patients vs. controls (Table 4).

Moreover, the odds ratios for the presence
of at least 1, 2 or 3 autoantibodies
are greater in the residents of mobile homes
and office workers (p <.05)
relative to controls (Table 5).

Presently, autoimmune disorders
have not been diagnosed clinically in these patients.

However, current investigations in progress appear to correlate
the presence of APC autoantibodies with gastritis complaints
and antimyelin autantibodies with CNS and PNS symptoms.

In conclusion, measurements of changes
in WBCs, T cells, and H/S ratio
in individuals with apparent chemical sensitivities
appear to be inadequate immune parameters to examine.

If one assumes that these individuals respond immunogically
to environmental chemicals,
investigations into autoimmunity
and immune activation and perturbations
in the interleukins, luekotreines, prostglandins,
and other immunologic mediators
appear to be fruitful areas for further research. (29-32)

Thus, it appears that HCHO sensitivity is a real phenomenon
and requires further research. (4,27-32 ) [End of report]
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
RTM: ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999:
Murray 2002.05.30

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts111.html [excerpts]

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29
Atlanta, GA 30333 888-422-8737 FAX: (404)498-0057
ATSDRIC@... <http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/post?
postID=pHc5InMIHDQU5AmkadD4yZ21IMg87j_mVbuijrMS539tWVaH1iEEx7L55PDpygBu6rQv04Qll\
BjoxA>
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/contacts.html
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/19/ap3933026.html

Associated Press

FEMA Slow to Safety Test Toxic Trailers

By CHARLES BABINGTON 07.19.07, 4:30 PM ET

WASHINGTON --

Lawyers for the government's disaster relief agency discouraged
officials from pursuing reports that trailers housing hurricane
victims had dangerous levels of formaldehyde, according to documents
released Thursday.

Lawmakers said they were infuriated.

At a House hearing, they listened to three trailer occupants whose
families suspect formaldehyde is to blame for their various illnesses.

Democrats and Republicans criticized the Federal Emergency Management
Agency for its limited inspections or tests of trailers whose
occupants reported various respiratory problems.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenaed records
showing that agency lawyers warned officials of potential liability
problems if tests suggested government negligence.

"It's sickening and the exact opposite of what government should be,"
said the committee chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. "It is
impossible to read the FEMA documents and not be infuriated."

The agency's chief, R. David Paulison, apologized to the trailer
occupants.

"This agency made the best decisions it could with the information it
had," Paulison testified. "Now we know we have to do something
different than we've done in the past."

Formaldehyde, well known as a preservative and embalming fluid,
sometimes is found in building materials that are used in manufactured
homes.

The chemical can cause respiratory problems and possibly cancer in
high doses.

FEMA provided more than 120,000 trailers to people displaced during
hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Many thousands of people still occupy the trailers, especially in
Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

When complaints of possible formaldehyde poisoning surfaced early last
year, FEMA officials tested one occupied trailer and announced "there
is no ongoing risk."

But documents show the levels of formaldehyde found were higher than
those considered safe by several government health and environment
agencies.

The House committee unearthed documents in which one FEMA lawyer
advised: "Do not initiate any testing until we give the OK. ... Once
you get results ... the clock is running on our duty to respond to
them."

Paulison said the criticism was unfair because it was being done in
hindsight.

He told the committee, "There is no existing consensus on safe
formaldehyde levels in residential dwellings."

Agency employees urged people worried about formaldehyde to open and
"air out" the trailers because, Paulison said, that was the advice of
the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease
Control.

Paulison said he now realized that was inadequate, partly because the
Gulf Coast's summer temperatures make air conditioning, with the
windows closed, essential in trailers.

Waxman said FEMA was obligated to monitor formaldehyde levels in a
sample of trailers rather than respond only to specific complaints.

Several government agencies offer different guidelines on formaldehyde
exposure, he noted, but all would have flagged the levels found in the
tested trailer as a problem.

The occupied trailer in Mississippi that FEMA tested in April 2006 had
levels of 1.2 parts per million.

A concentration of 0.016 parts per million is considered by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as the starting
point for workers to use respirators if they spend all day in such
conditions.

A 15-minute exposure is acceptable at a level of 0.1 parts per
million, it says; that is one-twelfth the level found in the trailer.

The EPA says a one-time exposure to formaldehyde at levels of 0.9
parts per million "should not lead to irreversible harm," committee
documents said.

The family departed the Mississippi trailer, but FEMA did not test any
more occupied units, even when agency employees said formaldehyde
possibly was a factor in the deaths of two trailer residents, the
documents show.

Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the committee's top Republican, rebuked
Paulison almost as severely as Waxman did.

Top FEMA officials, Davis said, misled the committee about the extent
of possible formaldehyde contamination.

He said FEMA's reaction to the problem "was deliberately stunted to
bolster the agency's litigation position."

"The noxious gas in those trailers should have energized FEMA to admit
the problem and solve it, not hide it behind a fog of risk-averse
lawyering," Davis said.

Paulison said FEMA received "just over 200 complaints of strange odors
including formaldehyde" in trailers and that 58 trailers were replaced
"because of formaldehyde concerns."

Occupants of five other trailers were moved to apartments, he said.

Several lawmakers said FEMA should have seen the 200 complaints as a
sign of a much wider problem.

Paul Stewart, one of three Gulf Coast residents who testified about
difficult dealings with FEMA, said he finally gave up and bought his
own trailer to place on his devastated lot.

Paulison said FEMA's lawyers were trying to protect the agency from
lawsuits, but he now realizes FEMA should have been more aggressive in
dealing with the concerns about formaldehyde. "We simply did not have
a grasp of the situation at the time," he said.

Waxman said earlier tests of trailers by the Sierra Club and others
had provided plenty of warning. "You did have the wrong judgment to
listen to the bad advice of your lawyers," he told Paulison.

Paulison said the vast majority of trailers and manufactured homes do
not have excessive formaldehyde levels.

He said FEMA is working to try to discover the origin of higher
concentrations found in some units.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1454
recent research and news re aspartame and stevia: Murray 2007.07.19

"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority,
to actively find, quickly share, and positively act upon
the facts about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 78 members, 1,455 posts in a public, searchable archive
http://RMForAll.blogspot.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1395
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic
encyclopedia, 72 references (including AspartameNM # 864
and 1173 by Murray), brief fair summary of much more
research: Murray 2007.01.01

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1453
Souring on fake sugar (aspartame), Jennifer Couzin, Science
2007.07.06: 4 page letter to FDA from 12 eminent USA toxicologists re
two Ramazzini Foundation cancer studies 2007.06.25: Murray 2007.07.18

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1451
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose) and coloring agents will
be banned from use in newly-born and baby foods, the European
Parliament decided: Latvia ban in schools 2006: Murray 2007.07.12

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1437
stevia to be approved and cyclamates limited by Food Standards
Australia New Zealand: JMC Geuns critiques of two recent stevia
studies
by Nunes: Murray 2007.05.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1427
more from The Independent, UK, Martin Hickman, re ASDA
(unit of Wal-Mart Stores) and Marks & Spencer ban
of aspartame, MSG, artificial chemical additives and dyes
to prevent ADHD in kids: Murray 2007.05.16
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2548747.ece

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats,
salt "nasties" to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1438
Coca-Cola and Cargill Inc., after years of development, with 24
patents, will soon sell rebiana (stevia) in drinks and foods:
Murray 2007.05.31

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
50% UK baby food is now organic - aspartame or MSG
with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.01.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and
brilliant blue, harms nerve cells, eminent C. Vyvyan
Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk,
Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1417
formaldehyde as a potent unexamined cofactor in cancer research -
sources include methanol, dark wines and liquors, aspartame, wood and
tobacco smoke: IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks
to Humans implicate formaldehyde in #88 and alcohol drinks in #96:
some related abstracts: Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid) are main
cause of alcohol hangover symptoms [same as from similar
amounts of methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]:
YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec: Murray 2006.01.20

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition:
Bouchard M et al, full plain text, 2001: substantial
sources are degradation of fruit pectins, liquors,
aspartame, smoke: Murray 2005.04.02

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1447
second study by expert Greek team of neurotoxicity in infant rats by
aspartame
(or its parts, methanol, phenylalanine, aspartic acid),
KH Schulpis et al, Toxicology 2007.05.18: Murray 2007.07.04

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1444
expert Greek group finds aspartame (or its parts, methanol,
phenylalanine, aspartic acid) harm infant rat brain enzyme activity,
KH Schulpis et al, Pharmacol. Res. 2007.05.13: Murray 2007.06.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1414
effect of aspartame on oncogene and suppressor gene expressions in
mice, Katalin Gambos, Istvan Ember, et al, University of Pecs,
Hungary, In Vivo 2007 Jan; scores of their relevant past studies since
1977: Murray 2007.04.14

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1373
aspartame rat brain toxicity re cytochrome P450 enzymes,
especially CYP2E1, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ
et al, 2006 Aug, Hum Exp Toxicol: relevant abstracts re
formaldehyde from methanol in alcohol drinks: Murray 2006.09.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1340
aspartame groups and books: updated research review of
2004.07.16: Murray 2006.05.11

Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame, provide
similar levels of methanol, above 120 mg daily, for
long-term heavy users, 2 L daily, about 6 cans.

Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into
formaldehyde, and thence largely into formic acid -- the
major causes of the dreaded symptoms of "next morning"
hangover.

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda, almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg
methanol (wood alcohol). If 30% of the methanol is turned
into formaldehyde, the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg,
is 18.5 times the USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in
drinking water, 2.0 mg in 2 L average daily drinking water.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////