Toward Sustainable Anatomy Laboratories: A Screening Assessment of Environmental Burdens and Chemical Hotspots in...

Sustainable laboratory practice is generally focused on reducing occupational exposure in anatomy, with environmental impact due to embalming chemicals receiving less attention. We apply a sustainable chemistry methodology that reconsiders a screen of seven cadaver preservation formulations with complete for and two with incomplete data. A whole life-cycle assessment compared carbon burdens per kilogram and per liter of solution based on a cadaver weighing 64 kg required. The findings also suggest that mixtures of preservatives are not environmentally interchangeable. Finally, the burden produced by all assessment trees was lowest for modified Larssen solution (0.196 kg CO₂e/kg) and highest for Erskine (1.577 kg CO₂e/kg). Burden's story was about more than formaldehyde, though it wasn't the only key ingredient; glycerol, phenol, methanol and sodium sulfate were also important. This indicates that a more sustainable anatomy lab needs whole-formulation redesigns, not just add-ingredient reductions. The study presents a framework of chemistry-informed reformulation priorities to be implemented within anatomy teaching laboratories.