Matsuda Seiji, Hasegawa Masanori, Muro Hiroaki, Asano Hiroshi, Hamada Fumihiko, Shimokawa Tetsuya, Miyawaki Kyojy, Nabeka Hiroaki, Wakisaka Hiroyuki, Hamai Meiko, Kobayashi Naoto
Department of Anatomy, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
Kaibogaku Zasshi. 2009 Dec;84(4):103-9.
Formaldehyde or formalin is indispensable not only as a preservative but also as a disinfectant of cadavers for gross anatomy. It has recently attracted a great deal of attention as a health hazard for students and lecturers. To reduce the concentration of formaldehyde gas (FAG), we improved a novel local ventilation system of the push-pull type. This is the first report dealing with the effects of this ventilation system on the health of students before (over 1 ppm) and after (0.1 ppm) the installation. The percentages of students with lacrymal symptoms or airway irritation were reduced to a third of what they were before the installation. In particular, the number of those with continuously strong symptoms was reduced to a sixth of the pre-installation levels. This local ventilation system draws in fresh air from outside, and directs it to the breathing zone of the students, effectively reducing their symptoms.
