Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2024 May 25;14(1):12006. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-62133-9.
Formaldehyde, a known carcinogenic compound, is commonly used in various medical settings. The objective of this study was to assess the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with occupational exposure to formaldehyde. This study was conducted in the pathology labs of four hospitals in Tehran. Cancer and non-cancer risks were evaluated using the quantitative risk assessment method proposed by the United States environmental protection agency (USEPA), along with its provided database known as the integrated risk information system (IRIS). Respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American thoracic society (ATS) questionnaire. The results indicated that 91.23% of exposure levels in occupational groups exceed the NIOSH standard of 0.016 ppm. Regarding carcinogenic risk, 41.03% of all the studied subjects were in the definite carcinogenic risk range (LCR > 10), 23.08% were in the possible carcinogenic risk range (10 < LCR < 10), and 35.90% were in the negligible risk range (LCR < 10). The highest index of occupational carcinogenesis was observed in the group of lab technicians with a risk number of 3.7 × 10, followed by pathologists with a risk number of 1.7 × 10. Furthermore, 23.08% of the studied subjects were within the permitted health risk range (HQ < 1.0), while 76.92% were within the unhealthy risk range (HQ > 1.0). Overall, the findings revealed significantly higher carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks among lab technicians and pathologists. Therefore, it is imperative to implement control measures across various hospital departments to mitigate occupational formaldehyde exposure levels proactively. These findings can be valuable for policymakers in the health sector, aiding in the elimination or reduction of airborne formaldehyde exposure in work environments.
甲醛是一种已知的致癌化合物，广泛应用于各种医学环境中。本研究旨在评估职业暴露于甲醛所带来的致癌和非致癌风险。该研究在德黑兰四家医院的病理实验室进行。采用美国环保署（USEPA）提出的定量风险评估方法及其综合风险信息系统（IRIS）数据库，评估癌症和非癌症风险。使用美国胸科学会（ATS）问卷评估呼吸症状。结果表明，91.23%的职业暴露水平超过了职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）的 0.016ppm 标准。在致癌风险方面，41.03%的研究对象处于明确的致癌风险范围（LCR>10），23.08%处于可能的致癌风险范围（10<LCR<10），35.90%处于可忽略的致癌风险范围（LCR<10）。实验室技术员的职业致癌指数最高，风险指数为 3.7×10，其次是病理学家，风险指数为 1.7×10。此外，23.08%的研究对象处于允许的健康风险范围内（HQ<1.0），而 76.92%处于不健康风险范围内（HQ>1.0）。总体而言，实验室技术员和病理学家的致癌和非致癌风险显著更高。因此，必须在各医院部门采取控制措施，积极降低职业性甲醛暴露水平。这些发现对于卫生部门的政策制定者具有重要价值，可以帮助消除或减少工作环境中的空气中甲醛暴露。
