Survey of operating room pollution within an N.H.S. district

Pollution by waste anaesthetic gases was measured in all operating departments in a typical N.H.S. district. Methods were chosen to provide time-weighted average levels over the period of each operating session. The results showed that air-conditioning alone could not guarantee pollution levels below suggested maximum levels and that to meet those requirements air-conditioning plus scavenging was necessary. Background pollution levels were found to be representative of the personal exposure of nursing staff but approximated to only one third of the anaesthetists' personal exposure. Dental clinics presented special problems, namely the very high levels of pollution to which the dentist and his assistants were exposed.