Low cost and effective reduction of formaldehyde in gross anatomy: long throw nozzles and formaldehyde destruction using InfuTrace™.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
; 27(36): 45189-45208, 2020 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32780201
ABSTRACT
Formaldehyde is extraordinarily effective for fixation of human corpses and is routinely used in embalming solutions in anatomical dissection courses all over the world. High concentrations in vapors emitted from corpses embalmed with formaldehyde make it necessary to reduce the emission from cadavers for fulfilling tightening permissible exposure limits (PEL) worldwide. The study provides possible solutions to a problem faced by many anatomy labs. The emission of 50 human corpses was examined using 240 active personal and stationary samples with sampling tubes placed in the breathing area of probands or directly above the corpses. For measuring formaldehyde exposures along the dissection course, air samples were collected during the progress of dissection. Best results were achieved by a combination of post-embalming treatment with InfuTrace™, a formaldehyde binding solution applied to corpses fixed with 3% formaldehyde, and a modified ventilation system consisting of three long throw nozzles mounted vertically at the ceiling above the longitudinal axis of each dissection table. In this scenario, the inhalative exposure for students and teachers did not exceed 0.1 ppm during muscle dissection and 0.041 ppm during organ dissection, which are both dissection steps linked to high emission rates. The data emphasizes the necessity to use a combination of different methods - chemical polymerization of formaldehyde combined with a modified ventilation system - to reduce formaldehyde air loads far below the German PEL (0.3 ppm) and even the Japanese PEL (0.1 ppm) when using a standard 3%-formaldehyde fixation.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados
Tipo de estudo:
Health_economic_evaluation
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Alemanha