Formaldehyde exposure,acute pulmonary response,and exposure control options in a gross anatomy laboratory

Formaldehyde exposure, acute pulmonary response, and exposure control options were evaluated in a group of 34 workers in a gross anatomy laboratory. Time-weighted average (TWA) exposure to formaldehyde ranged from 0.07–2.94 parts per million (ppm) during dissecting operations. More than 94% were exposed to formaldehyde in excess of the ceiling value of 0.3 ppm recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The eight-hour TWA exposure of 31.7% of the subjects exceeded the action level of 0.5 ppm set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Reported symptoms included irritation of eye (88%), nose (74%), throat (29%), and airways (21%). Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 3 seconds (FEV₃) decreased, and FEV₁/FVC increased during the exposure. The changes of FEV₃ were statistically different from those of the controls. The results strongly support the necessity for designing and testing special local exhaust-ventilated worktables with necessary flexibility for dissecting operations.