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Biological Properties of Melamine

Melamine has been in the news a lot since the beginning of the 21st century, mostly because of its use in products that contain food and its toxicity. Melamine is a chemical compound that, when used with food products, causes a negative effect on the health of humans; this is due to the biological properties that this substance has been found to contain.

  1. Formaldehyde

    • Formaldehyde is one of the key components in the process that manufacturers use to draw out the resins from the melamine. The resins are used for the purpose of gluing and laminating products in industrial factories. The World Health Organization has classified formaldehyde as a carcinogen, an agent that causes cancer. Formaldehyde can cause people with asthma to have an attack, as well as irritate the mucous membrane. This is most likely because, as identified by the Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde is a hazardous air pollutant which releases toxins through the products that it is contained in.

    Triazine & Triamine

    • Melamine contains two properties known as triazine and triamine. Many commercial herbicides contain triamine as an active ingredient. Triamine contains an amine which is a derivative of ammonia. Chemical companies commonly use triazine in both pesticides and herbicides. Both triazine and triamine need to be used with caution to avoid skin and eye contact with humans and animals to avoid irritation.

    Cyanuric

    • Cyanuric acid is a component that is quite often found in the resins of melamine. This creates a crystallization of a variety of elements which can cause renal failure and kidney stones in humans and other mammals. Babies who have consumed some formulas that have been diluted with melamine --- to increase the appearance of the protein in the baby formula --- have been affected by these medical issues as a result. Domestic pets in the U.S., which had consumed pet foods laced with melamine, also experienced the same symptoms as the infants.

    Ammonium Thiocyanate

    • Ammonium thiocyanate is a crystalline inorganic compound that is translucent. It is used to dye fabrics as well as to assist in the process of electroplating. It is also one of the components in melamine. Being exposed to it can trigger skin problems such as dermatitis; if ingested, this chemical can adversely affect the thyroid by enlarging it. When heated to the point of where it melts, it will put out toxins which include ammonia cyanide and nitric oxides.

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