Ingesting as little as 30ml of solution containing 37 per cent of formaldehyde is enough to kill an adult, according to the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The short-term exposure limit that is still safe for humans is about 2 ppm (parts per million) for 15 minutes.

How much formaldehyde can kill you?

So drinking a little bit of formaldehyde won't kill you, right? Actually, it probably will. Drinking 1 ounce (30 milliliters) of formalin — a solution made up of water, menthol and 37 percent formaldehyde — can kill an adult [source: Blickenstaff].

How much exposure to formaldehyde is dangerous?

The concentration of formaldehyde that is immediately dangerous to life and health is 100 ppm. Concentrations above 50 ppm can cause severe pulmonary reactions within minutes. These include pulmonary edema, pneumonia, and bronchial irritation which can result in death.