Removing formaldehyde from embalmed cadavers by percolating the body cavities with dilute ethanol.
Formaldehyde was removed from embalmed animal cadavers by pumping ethanol (20%) through the pleural and peritoneal cavities of 4 goats, 4 cows and 4 horses. The goats were percolated intermittently for 7 days and the large animals continuously for 72 h. Just after opening the body cavities, samples of air close to the organs were collected and analyzed for formaldehyde using a spectrofluorimetric method. The concentration of formaldehyde in the air samples was in goats 0.45 +/- 0.44 microgram/l (mean +/- SD), cows 0.42 +/- 0.29 microgram/l and horses 0.43 +/- 0.25 microgram/l.
D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004285:Dogs; D004615:Embalming; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D006041:Goats; D008722:Methods; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012756:Sheep
D005557:Formaldehyde; D000431:Ethanol