title: Levels of formaldehyde vapor released from embalmed cadavers in each dissection stage.
abstract: Formaldehyde (FA) is an aldehyde used in antiseptics and adhesives. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other institutes have linked FA to sick building syndrome and allergic diseases. Recent studies have reported that cadavers embalmed using formalin and ethanol-based preservative solutions release FA vapor during dissection and that FA vapor may adversely affect students and lecturers in gross anatomy laboratories. However, few details have been reported correlating dissection stage with increased FA vapor release. In this study, we evaluated the vapor level of FA released in each dissection stage. Six cadavers for which consent was given for use in anatomy research and education were examined in this study. Using an active sampling method, FA vapor was collected above the thoracoabdominal region of each dissected cadaver. FA was eluted from each sampler using acetonitrile and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Our data show that FA levels significantly increase after skin incision and that the vapor level of FA released differs between male and female cadavers. We also found that subcutaneous adipose tissues of the thoracoabdominal-region release FA vapor and that female cadavers release significantly higher levels of FA per kilogram of subcutaneous adipose tissue than do male cadavers. Based on these data, we propose the methods be developed to prevent exposure to FA vapors released from cadavers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Yota
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugata
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.|Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.|Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyaso
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.|Division of Living Environmental Science, Chiba Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Chiba, 260-8715, Japan.|Kimitsu Health and Welfare Center, Chiba, 292-0832, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Odaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Nursing, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8672, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.|Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. ymatsuno@faculty.chiba-u.jp.|Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. ymatsuno@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D004615:Embalming; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D008297:Male; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: Adipose tissue; Dissection stage; Embalmed cadaver; Formaldehyde; Gross anatomy; Skin incision