Abstract
In pathological examinations, formaldehyde is emitted from specimens that are fixed with formalin. Although local ventilation systems are often used to prevent formaldehyde exposure, they often do not function sufficiently. To appropriately design ventilation equipment in pathology laboratories, it is necessary to estimate the emission rate of formaldehyde. In this study, we measured the emission rate of formaldehyde from formalin-fixed dressed pork and the formalin liquid surface in a test chamber. Additionally, formaldehyde concentrations were measured in the pathology laboratories during actual work, and the formaldehyde emission rate per work point was calculated. Based on the chamber test, the emission rate of both dressed pork and the formalin liquid surface remained constant for 40 minutes after being set up, indicating temperature-dependence in both cases. Furthermore, measurements taken during actual work revealed that the emission rate during tasks such as sectioning ranged from 139 mg/h to 203 mg/h per work point. The emission rate for work involving an opened formalin tank could be determined by adding the emission rate from the formalin liquid surface to the emission rate per work point for sectioning. It was observed that the amount of formaldehyde released could be estimated if the number of work areas and the opening area of the formalin tank were known.
