Formaldehyde is used in medical fields such as pathology, human and veterinary anatomy for the fixation, preservation and storage of human or animal tissue. In November 2014, the Committee on Hazardous Substances adopted a workplace limit value (AGW) for formaldehyde, which also applies to workplaces in anatomical institutes at German universities, but is not always complied with.
Exceeding the AGW occurs both when fixing the body donations and in the anatomical internship. Technical and organizational measures must be taken, as there are only limited options for substituting formaldehyde. After extensive investigations, it was determined that the collection of hazardous substances using extraction tables and air conditioning measures are essential.
This article gives important information on the topic.
Level of Education: Higher education
Lead Organisation: Ingenieur.de
