Health adverse effects of formaldehyde exposure to students and staff in gross anatomy

Abstract

Abstract:Formaldehyde is an anxious gas used as a tissue preservative of cadavers in anatomy halls. Therefore, laboratory staff and students are at high risk of different clinical complications due to the continuous exposure to formaldehyde. The present questionnaire-based study evaluates the effects of formaldehyde exposure on veterinary students and staff in the anatomy gross dissection laboratory, University of Tripoli, Libya. A total of 104 students and 6 anatomy staff members completed a questionnaire of 24 questions related to the clinical symptoms observed after formaldehyde exposure and the answers were assessed using a six point (0-5) scale. Students had a high prevalence of nasal itching 78(75%), eyes burning 78(75%), excessive lacrimation 76(73%), eyes redness 60(58%), headache 64(62%) and respiratory distress 61(59%). Smoking and wearing glasses or gloves worsened many symptoms while wearing masks minimized other symptoms and male students were more affected than females. All anatomy staff members (100%) reported nasal itching, burning and congestion, eyes burning and redness, excessive lacrimation, cough and respiratory distress and less than that (83%) suffered from mouth dryness, headache, temporary loss of their ability to recognize the smell of formaldehyde and needed a physician assistance after the exposure to formaldehyde. The repeated exposure to formaldehyde in gross anatomy dissection has harmful effects on both students and staff member and finding alternative preservation methods, such as freezing, would be safer than using the formaldehyde.

Indoor Formaldehyde Concentration, Personal Formaldehyde Exposure and Clinical Symptoms during Anatomy Dissection Sessions, University of Medicine 1, Yangon

“…Wearing activated carbon masks could decrease clinical symptoms induced by FA exposure in medical students [ 46 ]. Medical students who did not wear masks were adversely affected by certain clinical symptoms such as mouth dryness and respiratory distress [ 47 ].…”

“…The accumulation of FA vapors under the glasses could cause eye problems [ 48 ]. The medical students who wore glasses complained of excessive lacrimation and redness or itchiness of eyes [ 47 ]. Therefore, it could be supposed that not eyeglasses but only goggles could hamper the irritation effects of FA on eyes.…”

Contact sensitization to formaldehyde in veterinary medicine – An unexplored field in occupational health

“…Studies documented that veterinary students had a high prevalence of nasal itching, eyes burning, excessive lacrimation, eyes redness, headache, and respiratory distress and male students were more affected than females, as well as decreases pulmonary function tests in students after gross anatomy dissection and anatomy; staff members had nasal itching, burning and congestion, eyes burning and redness, excessive lacrimation, cough and respiratory distress, mouth dryness, and headache. [2829]…”

“…[29] Switching to alternative preservative methods, such as freezing, is a safer way of tissues preservation than using formaldehyde. [28]…”

Computed Tomography Scan and Polyester resin 40 Plastination Technique: Teaching Aids to Illustrate Anatomical Structure of Donkey Brain.

“…Formaldehyde discolors the tissues and emits vapors which are irritant to the eyes and respiratory tract. Repeated and long exposure to formalin can be lead to cancer of the respiratory system, asthma, and bronchitis (Sivrev et al, 2013;Alnagar et al, 2018;Jones et al, 2019). It is needed to apply new teaching aids which are safer, more economical and more effective in visualizing the anatomical structure and its surrounding relations to improve the quality of anatomy learning.…”