Unveiling the Truth about Formaldehyde in Cat Litter: Testing 6 Popular Brands, Is Your Litter Safe?

Unveiling the Truth about Formaldehyde in Cat Litter: Testing 6 Popular Brands, Is Your Litter Safe?

In recent years, the number of cat owners has grown significantly, and people are paying more and more attention to the living environment of their cats. Cat litter, as an essential part of a cat's life, has become a focal point of concern for "cat parents." Recently, rumors about "formaldehyde in cat litter" have been circulating widely, causing anxiety among many cat lovers.

To uncover the truth about formaldehyde in cat litter, we conducted a comprehensive test on 6 popular cat litter brands, including 5 mixed litters (70% tofu litter and 30% bentonite litter) and 1 pure tofu litter.

I. Does Cat Litter Actually Contain Formaldehyde?

To simulate a real-life usage environment, we placed 1.5L of cat litter in a 20L sealed acrylic chamber. After sealing for 24 hours, we measured the formaldehyde concentration in the chamber's air using a photoelectric photometer.

The test results showed that none of the 6 cat litters detected formaldehyde.

To further validate the results, we also sent these 6 cat litters to a third-party laboratory for testing, using the formaldehyde release test method for artificial boards. Again, no formaldehyde was detected.

II. What's the Source of the Online Rumors about Formaldehyde in Cat Litter?

If the test results show no formaldehyde in cat litter, where do the online rumors about formaldehyde exceeding the standard come from?

1. Misjudgment from unreliable testing instruments

We found that many bloggers use dozens or even hundreds of electrochemical (diffusion) instruments for testing. These instruments have large error margins and are easily interfered with, even detecting "formaldehyde exceeding the standard" when placed near incense.

2. Issues with cat litter raw materials

From the perspective of raw materials, formaldehyde is unlikely to be present in inorganic minerals like bentonite and crystal cat litter.

However, the rumors about formaldehyde exceeding the standard in tofu litter are primarily related to some non-compliant manufacturing practices:

Raw material issues: Some manufacturers may use sawdust from discarded wooden furniture as raw materials instead of plant-based materials like peas and corn fibers.
Binder issues: During production, some manufacturers may use formaldehyde-containing industrial glue instead of food-grade glue for binding.

However, we also consulted industry professionals who indicated that regular cat litter products from reputable brands generally do not use formaldehyde-containing raw materials or additives. Therefore, cat litter products purchased through official channels should have a low risk of formaldehyde.

III. Can Cat Litter Remove Formaldehyde?

During the testing process, we made an unexpected discovery: cat litter might have a certain ability to absorb formaldehyde. Due to the presence of pores in cat litter granules, especially when mineral cat litters like bentonite are added, their physical and chemical adsorption capabilities are enhanced.

Therefore, cat litter can absorb a certain amount of formaldehyde in the air to some extent, but its absorption capacity is limited and cannot completely remove formaldehyde in the room.

IV. Conclusion

Through testing and analysis, we have reached the following conclusions:

Cat litter products purchased from regular channels generally do not contain excessive formaldehyde.
Cat litter can absorb a certain amount of formaldehyde, but it cannot completely remove formaldehyde.

We recommend "cat parents" choose cat litter products from reputable brands and regularly ventilate the room to ensure a safe living environment for their cats.

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