Industrial Health
Online ISSN : 1880-8026
Print ISSN : 0019-8366
ISSN-L : 0019-8366
Field Report
Formaldehyde Exposure in Some Educational Hospitals of Tehran
Mehdi GHASEMKHANIFarahnaz JAHANPEYMAKamal AZAM
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2005 Volume 43 Issue 4 Pages 703-707

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Abstract

This research was conducted to determine formaldehyde exposure of staffs in pathology laboratories, surgery rooms and endoscopy wards in eight large hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences located at Tehran, Iran. Air sampling have been made by both long and shortterm methods. Total numbers of samples were 160 for both methods. Nineteen samples of 160 samples were collected as blank in other non-exposed environments such as administrative sections. The mean (SD) levels of formaldehyde in long-term methods were 0.96 (0.74), 0.25 (0.21) and 0.13 (0.18) ppm, at pathology laboratories, surgery rooms and endoscopy wards, respectively. The results of measurements showed that mean (SD) concentration of formaldehyde in one hour sampling at short intervals were 0.83 (0.29), 0.23 (0.16) and 0.75 (0.25) ppm at pathology labs, surgery rooms and endoscopy wards, respectively. There were significant differences in the mean levels of formaldehyde (long-term) at surgery rooms (p<0.02) and endoscopy wards (p<0.005) in eight hospitals of this study. It is concluded that the concentration levels of formaldehyde at pathology laboratories exceeded recommended limit which established by the American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists ACGIH (TLV-C=0.3 ppm). It is recommended that local exhaust ventilation should be installed to minimize the contact to formaldehyde in the staffs.

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© 2005 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
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