Formaldehyde Exposure in Some Educational Hospitals of Tehran

• Published in: Industrial Health 2005, Vol.43(4), pp.703-707
• Main Authors: GHASEMKHANI, Mehdi, JAHANPEYMA, Farahnaz, AZAM, Kamal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Concentration; Cross-Sectional Studies; Endoscopy; Endoscopy - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Monitoring; Formaldehyde; Formaldehyde - analysis; Hospitals, University - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Iran; Laboratories, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Maximum Allowable Concentration; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Operating Rooms - statistics & numerical data; Pathology; Pathology Department, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Risk Factors; Surgery; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0019-8366; 1880-8026
• DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.43.703

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