title: Formaldehyde exposure and irritative effects on medical examiners, pathologic anatomy post-graduate students and technicians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to formaldehyde (FA) causes irritative effects and induces nasopharyngeal cancer; the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, Lyon) classified FA as carcinogenic to humans, Group 1. Many studies have been published so far concerning the occupational exposure of industrial workers, embalmers, pathologists and anatomists to FA but very few data regarding medical examiners are available.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the extent to which subjects were exposed to FA, airborne concentrations of this chemical were measured by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In September-October 2006 we examined the personnel, which worked in an autopsy room (medical examiners) and in three laboratories of pathologic anatomy of the University Medical School of Bari, Policlinico Hospital, Southern Italy. Irritative effects were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the personal exposure data obtained exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Threshold Limit Value-Time Weighted Average (NIOSH TLV-TWA: 0.02 mg/m(3)) and, in a few cases, even the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value-Ceiling level (ACGIH TLV-C: 0.37 mg/m(3)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irritative effects in more than 50% of the workers enrolled, increasing the risk of injuries.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Internal and Public Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine "B. Ramazzini", University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vimercati
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrus
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galise
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minunni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dell'erba
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assennato
keywords: Air sampling; Formaldehyde; Occupational Health; Occupational exposure