Exposure to Formaldehyde during an Anatomy Dissecting Course

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  • KUNUGITA Naoki
    Department of Health Information Science, School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • NAKASHIMA Tamiji
    Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • KIKUTA Akio
    Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • KAWAMOTO Toshihiro
    Department of Environmental Health, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • ARASHIDANI Keiichi
    Department of Environmental Management Ⅱ, School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 解剖学実習室における気中ホルムアルデヒド濃度評価と自覚症状調査
  • カイボウガク ジッシュウシツ ニ オケル キチュウ ホルムアルデヒド ノウド ヒョウカ ト ジカク ショウジョウ チョウサ

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Description

Formaldehyde is a flammable, colorless and readily polymerized gas at ambient temperature, and is one of the major pollutants in indoor air. Medical students during their dissection course are exposed to formaldehyde, whose exposure is recently considered to be one of the causes of multiple chemical sensitivity. To understand the system that produces exposures and to plan for implementing control options, this study examined formaldehyde exposures that occurred in the gross anatomy laboratory. Formaldehyde in air was sampled by an active 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-silica gel cartridge, extracted with acetonitrile and analyzed with an high performance liquid chromatograph-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) detector. The geometric mean formaldehyde concentration was 20〜93 ppb in the anatomy laboratory before starting the anatomy dissecting. After beginning the dissecting, however, the highest geometric mean concentrations were 1012〜1380 ppb. Significant differences were observed during the exposed period for symptoms of "unusual thirst", "burning eyes", "itchy eyes", "bad feeling", "fatigue", etc. in comparison with the non-exposed period. These results show that medical schools should take more concrete measures to reduce exposure to formaldehyde.

Journal

  • Journal of UOEH

    Journal of UOEH 26 (3), 337-348, 2004

    University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan

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