Fifteen babies were taken out of a special care nursery in north Australia due to concerns over high formaldehyde gas levels in the environment, local media reported on Wednesday.

The babies were transferred from the Cairns Base Hospital in far north Queensland, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Tests were conducted following complaints of eye problems from hospital staff, which found formaldehyde gas levels in the nursery were above recommended levels for long-term exposure.

Queensland Health Public Health Units spokesman Dr Richard Gair confirmed that formaldehyde was widely distributed in the environment.

"We don't know at this time what the source is," he told ABC on Wednesday.

"There are many sources including furnishings, joinery and so on, so patients have been taken out of the special care nursery."

He said the nursery would not be in use until it was declared safe.

"It's not being used until we can find the source of formaldehyde and make sure that levels have been brought down to those which are acceptable," he said. Endi

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