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[Occupational exposure to formaldehyde at a service of pathologic anatomy]
L Proietti1, P B Sandonà, B Longo
1Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Patologie sistemiche, Sezione di Medicina del Lavoro Università degli Studi di Catania.
Objective:
Aim of the present study is to evaluate the air pollution produced by formaldehyde in pathological anatomy.
Methods:
This study was made with instrumental approach based on environmental evaluation of 10% formaldehyde used in pathological anatomy, by an infrared gas analyser (Brüel & Kjaer), and clinical approach of pathological anatomy personnel.
Results:
The final result is not very comforting because we found values of formaldehyde during specific activities which exeeded the current limits proposed by industrial hygienist, infact we found in a different settings 1.81 ppm, 3.78 ppm, 8.3.05 ppm. The personnel exposed reported subjective symptoms as reactive airway symptoms, headache, skin problems.
Conclusions:
To reduce air pollution we have indicated technical precautions as forced ventilation which is a major engineering control for reducing risk from chemical agents, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as last resort for protection, behavioral rules and health surveillance.