Sonja Pfeil, Hans Hieke, Petra Brohmann, Monika Wimmer-Röll,
"Low cost and effective reduction of formaldehyde in gross anatomy: long throw nozzles and formaldehyde destruction using InfuTrace?"
, in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 6-2020, ISSN: 1614-7499
Original Titel:
Low cost and effective reduction of formaldehyde in gross anatomy: long throw nozzles and formaldehyde destruction using InfuTrace?
Sprache des Titels:
Englisch
Original Kurzfassung:
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 fromcorpses embalmed with formaldehydemake
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 systemconsisting 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.