Formaldehyde exposure in gross anatomy laboratory of Suranaree University of Technology: a comparison of area and personal sampling

Abstract

Cadavers are usually preserved by embalming solution which is composed of formaldehyde (FA), phenol, and glycerol. Therefore, medical students and instructors have a higher risk of exposure to FA inhalation from cadavers during dissection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the FA exposure in indoor air and breathing zone of medical students and instructors during dissection classes in order to investigate the relationship between them. The indoor air and personal air samples in breathing zone were collected three times during anatomy dissection classes (in January, August, and October of 2014) with sorbent tubes, which were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The air cleaner machines were determined by weight measurement. Pulmonary function tests and irritation effects were also investigated. The mean of FA concentrations ranged from 0.117 to 0.415 ppm in the indoor air and from 0.126 to 1.176 ppm in the breathing zone of students and instructors. All the personal exposure data obtained exceeded the threshold limit of NIOSH and WHO agencies. The air cleaner machines were not significant difference. The pulmonary function of instructors showed a decrease during attention of classes and statistically significant decreasing in the instructors more than those of the students. Clinical symptoms that were observed in nose and eyes were irritations with general fatigue. We suggested that the modified exhaust ventilation and a locally ventilated dissection work table were considered for reducing FA levels in the gross anatomy dissection room.

Investigation of Formaldehyde in Gross Anatomy Laboratory: Area-Based and Exposure Levels, Ventilation, Health Risk and Clinical Symptoms

“…The practical dissections appear to be the main sources of formaldehyde emitted into the laboratory air. However, the formaldehyde levels in this study were relatively lower than those measured in the previous studies [3,5,15,[21][22]. It is worth noting that the concentrations measured in the previous semester but at the different dissections, i.e., perineum and pelvis, were 46 ppb for inside the lab and 19 ppb for outside the lab.…”

“…In this study, the average formaldehyde concentrations measured during the regular classes were found to be 10-1000 times lower than those measured in other anatomy laboratories of the Thai medical schools [15,[20][21]. This may be because our studied laboratory had five times smaller numbers of the cadavers than the other schools.…”

“…The inclusion criteria were first year nursing students and second year medical students while exclusion criteria were smokers and asthmatic persons. The questionnaire was modified slightly from the questionnaire used in the study of Saowakon et al [15]. It included three parts, i.e., respondent background information protective equipment use and formaldehyde-related clinical symptoms.…”

“…Normally, cadavers used in gross anatomy laboratories are embalmed with formaldehyde fixative. Formaldehyde contents vary among the gross anatomy laboratories, typically ranging from 5 to 7 % [13][14][15][16]. The fixative is usually infused via the femoral arteries or internal carotid arteries.…”

“…Despite the number of medical schools and gross dissection units in Thailand, few studies on the investigation of indoor air quality in these facilities have been conducted. Recently, there have been studies on measuring formaldehyde in gross anatomy rooms and at the breathing zone of students and instructors at two medical schools [15,[21][22]. The concentrations were found in the 0.2-1.2 ppm range.…”