Tell the EPA: Stop Toxic Exposure – Ban Formaldehyde The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to nearly double the amount of formaldehyde it considers safe to inhale by adopting a new exposure threshold. That new car smell? It’s actually the off-gassing of toxins, primarily formaldehyde. Formaldehyde isn’t just in car interiors. It’s used as a preservative and adhesive in just about every consumer product you can think of, from furniture, flooring, and carpets,