Respirators for Formaldehyde

The exposure limits

What the federal rule says

Each entry is condensed from the paragraph cited; the paragraph itself is the rule and the link opens it.

29 CFR 1910.1048(g)(3)(i): Employers must select, and provide to employees, the appropriate respirators specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of 29 CFR 1910.134; equip each air-purifying, full facepiece respirator with a canister or cartridge approved for protection against formaldehyde; for escape, provide a self-contained breathing apparatus operated in the demand or pressure-demand mode, or a full facepiece respirator having a chin-style, or a front- or back-mounted industrial-size, canister or cartridge approved for protection against formaldehyde.

29 CFR 1910.1048(g)(2)(ii): When employees use air-purifying respirators with chemical cartridges or canisters that do not contain end-of-service-life indicators approved by NIOSH, employers must replace these cartridges or canisters as specified by paragraphs (d)(3)(iii)(B)(1) and (B)(2) of 29 CFR 1910.134, or at the end of the workshift, whichever condition occurs first.

29 CFR 1910.1048(g)(3)(ii): Employers may substitute an air-purifying, half mask respirator for an air-purifying, full facepiece respirator when they equip the half mask respirator with a cartridge approved for protection against formaldehyde.

Source: 29 CFR, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, as published by OSHA (ecfr.gov / osha.gov), read Nov 2–3 2026.

California (Cal/OSHA)

Each entry is condensed from the paragraph cited; the paragraph itself is the rule and the link opens it.

Title 8 §5217: California's formaldehyde standard carries the same PEL and STEL.

Source: California Code of Regulations, Title 8, as published by Cal/OSHA (dir.ca.gov), read Nov 2–3 2026.

What the makers' data lists for formaldehyde

North cartridges whose chart entry includes formaldehyde: N75002L (acid gas and formaldehyde), 75SCL Defender, 7582P100L and 75SCP100L. Dräger's FM code is on the bayonet 6738025, 6738035, 6738351, 6738361 and the PAPR MultiGas filters.

North cartridges and filters whose chart entry covers it

Source: North Cartridge & Filter Reference Chart; NIOSH approval labels (PIP).

North facepieces

Source: North product sheets (PIP).

Dräger filters listed for it

Source: Dräger Guide for Selection and Use of Respiratory Filtering Devices, NIOSH (DMC-104642); Dräger X-plore Bayonet Filters NIOSH product information (DMC-109824); Dräger X-plore 8000 product information (DMC-102510).

Dräger masks

Source: Dräger Product Catalog, Industrial Applications (DMC-107423).

Dräger X-plore 8000 PAPR blowers

Source: Dräger X-plore 8000 product information (DMC-102510).

Dräger selection guide entries

1 entries in the Dräger respiratory selection guide match formaldehyde; each names the filters by part number.

Source: Dräger Respiratory Protection Selection Guide (PIP document library).

Assigned protection factor

Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 Table 1 (Assigned Protection Factors). The APF applies only when the respirator is used in a program that meets the standard, including fit testing of tight-fitting facepieces (29 CFR 1910.134(f)) and a cartridge change schedule (29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)).

Guides: half mask vs full facepiece · assigned protection factors · cartridge change schedules · P100 vs N95 vs R95 · what OSHA requires for fit testing · cleaning and storing respirators.

Respirators for Formaldehyde questions

Which North cartridge covers formaldehyde? N75002L (white label), 75SCL (olive), 7582P100L and 75SCP100L, per the North Cartridge & Filter Reference Chart.

How often must formaldehyde cartridges be changed? Without a NIOSH-approved ESLI, as specified by the 1910.134 change-schedule paragraphs or at the end of the workshift, whichever comes first (29 CFR 1910.1048(g)(2)(ii)).