Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Aulweg 123, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
Department of Real Estate, Construction and Technology, Justus-Liebig-University, Ludwigstraße 23, 35390, Gießen, Germany.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Dec;27(36):45189-45208. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-09961-0. Epub 2020 Aug 11.
Formaldehyde is extraordinarily effective for fixation of human corpses and is routinely used in embalming solutions in anatomical dissection courses all over the world. High concentrations in vapors emitted from corpses embalmed with formaldehyde make it necessary to reduce the emission from cadavers for fulfilling tightening permissible exposure limits (PEL) worldwide. The study provides possible solutions to a problem faced by many anatomy labs. The emission of 50 human corpses was examined using 240 active personal and stationary samples with sampling tubes placed in the breathing area of probands or directly above the corpses. For measuring formaldehyde exposures along the dissection course, air samples were collected during the progress of dissection. Best results were achieved by a combination of post-embalming treatment with InfuTrace™, a formaldehyde binding solution applied to corpses fixed with 3% formaldehyde, and a modified ventilation system consisting of three long throw nozzles mounted vertically at the ceiling above the longitudinal axis of each dissection table. In this scenario, the inhalative exposure for students and teachers did not exceed 0.1 ppm during muscle dissection and 0.041 ppm during organ dissection, which are both dissection steps linked to high emission rates. The data emphasizes the necessity to use a combination of different methods - chemical polymerization of formaldehyde combined with a modified ventilation system - to reduce formaldehyde air loads far below the German PEL (0.3 ppm) and even the Japanese PEL (0.1 ppm) when using a standard 3%-formaldehyde fixation.
甲醛对固定人体尸体非常有效，在世界各地的解剖课程中，通常用于防腐溶液。从用甲醛防腐的尸体中散发的高浓度蒸气，使得必须减少尸体的排放量，以达到全球范围内允许的接触限值（PEL）。该研究为许多解剖实验室面临的问题提供了可能的解决方案。使用 240 个带有采样管的主动个人和固定采样器，将采样管放置在被试者的呼吸区域或直接放在尸体上方，对 50 具人体尸体的排放情况进行了检查。为了测量解剖过程中的甲醛暴露情况，在解剖过程中收集了空气样本。通过 InfuTrace™（一种甲醛结合溶液，用于固定在 3%甲醛中的尸体）进行死后处理，以及由三个长抛式喷嘴组成的改良通风系统的组合，取得了最佳效果，这些喷嘴垂直安装在每个解剖台的纵轴上方的天花板上。在这种情况下，学生和教师的吸入暴露在肌肉解剖过程中不超过 0.1ppm，在器官解剖过程中不超过 0.041ppm，这两个解剖步骤与高排放率有关。这些数据强调了必须使用不同方法的组合——甲醛的化学聚合与改良通风系统相结合——将甲醛空气负荷降低到远低于德国 PEL（0.3ppm）甚至日本 PEL（0.1ppm）的水平，特别是在使用标准 3%甲醛固定剂时。
