Aldehydes mutagen formation from

Low-molecular mass carbonyls are among the most abundant and ubiquitous volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. They are produced from industrial activity and incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Many aldehydes are also emitted indoors (plastic, foam insulation, lacquers, etc.). As a source of free radicals, aldehydes play an important role in the ozone formation, in urban smog events, as well as in the photochemistry of the unpolluted troposphere. Aldehydes are recognized irritants of the eye and respiratory tract, and often, carcinogenic and mutagenic characteristics are also attributed to them. 

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