Three years of experience with a dissection table ventilation system

A dissection table ventilation system that draws air across the cadaver and away from the table top was designed to fit the Shandon-Lipshaw AN-52 dissection table. Each U-shaped unit consists of a pair of hollow collection arms that attach to a collecting manifold at one end. During dissection the manifold is coupled to a central ventilation system through a flexible duct. The air from the table ventilation system is exhausted after passing through a heat recovery system. The unit is raised from the table surface during dissection of the body cavities to increase the efficiency of fume/odor removal. Eight hour exposure data for formaldehyde concentrations are presented. Data were collected from detectors positioned at selected levels above the cadaver during dissection, and above a tray on the table top containing a known volume of 4% formaldehyde or the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine embalming fluid under varying airflow conditions. The results demonstrate that the table ventilation system is effective in reducing exposure to formaldehyde in the dissection laboratory.