Formaldehyde Exposures in a Gross Anatomy Laboratory – Colorado

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  A recent study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found significant exposures to formaldehyde in a gross anatomy laboratory at a medical school in Colorado. In early December 1981, at the request of medical and dental students at the university, NIOSH investigators conducted an environmental evaluation of the anatomy laboratory and a medical evaluation of the students using it. They collected 55 personal breathing-zone air samples from students dissecting cadavers (25 for determination of formaldehyde exposure and 30 for determination of phenol exposure). In addition, they performed pulmonary function tests on 23 students. Results of the environmental sampling showed formaldehyde levels ranging from less than 0.02 mg/M3 to 3.3 mg/M3 (0.02 parts per million [ppm] to 2.7 ppm), indicating exposures sufficient to cause symptoms of irritation in most of the exposed students. Phenol levels ranged from less than 0.01 mg/M3 to 12.2 mg/M3, all within the NIOSH-recommended maximum occupational exposure level of 19.0 mg/M3. Pulmonary function tests on the 23 students were normal. However, one student, tested after exposure, showed clinically significant decreases of 13.0% in forced vital capacity and 10.7% in forced expiratory volume in 1 second. This student had a history of adverse reactions to formaldehyde, presumably an allergic basis for these findings. Eleven other students who participated in post-exposure pulmonary function tests showed no significant decreases in pulmonary function. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Anatomy Education Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Formaldehyde Hypersensitivity Laboratories Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Phenol Safety

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• Keywords:
  Air Sampling Allergic Reactions Breathing Zone Environmental Contamination Environmental Exposure Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Exposure Limits Humans Medical Examinations Pulmonary Function Tests Recommended Exposure Limits RELs Sampling

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• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  31
• Issue:
  52
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056116
• Citation:
  MMWR 1983 Jan; 31(52):698-700
• CAS Registry Number:
  Formaldehyde (CAS RN 50-00-0) ; Phenol (CAS RN 108-95-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1983
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:50c5f42a37b856c46ded352bf004be0896d5361a7a7306e5c676456b68ba646d2880aec308149918b563512ccfb17e7bad9226d67838368832bf947d8693dc9b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183120/cdc_183120_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 404.31 KB ]