Affiliations: [a] Local Health Authority, Health Unit of Occupational Prevention and Protection, Brindisi, Italy
| [b] Department of Anatomy Pathology, “Perrino” Hospital, Brindisi, Italy
| [c] Occupational Medicine, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Dr Gabriele d’Ettorre, Medical Director, Local Health Authority of Brindisi, Unit of Occupational Prevention and Protection, piazza Di Summa, 72100 Brindisi, Italy. Tel.: +39831510433; Fax: +39831510438; E-mail: gabriele.det@libero.it
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Nearly eleven years have passed since the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified Formaldehyde (FA) as a known human carcinogen (group 1), yet the safety of anatomy pathology workers who are currently exposed to FA is still a matter of concern. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the literature to discover which topics have been focused on and what the latest developments are in managing FA indoor pollution in anatomy pathology departments. which topics have been focused on and what the latest developments in managing FA indoor pollution in anatomy pathology departments. METHODS: For the purpose of this review, we searched for publications in PubMed and Web of Science using selected keywords. The articles were reviewed and categorized into one or more of the following three categories based on subject matter: exposure levels exposure controls and alternatives. RESULTS: Our search resulted in a total of 31 publications that matched our inclusion criteria. The topics discussed, in order of frequency (from highest to lowest), were: “exposure controls”, “exposure levels” and “alternatives”. The most frequently suggested intervention was to improve local exhaust ventilation systems to minimize FA levels in gross anatomy laboratories. CONCLUSIONS: We found a lack of evidence-based improvement interventions that aimed to control exposure to FA. According to this finding, and pending a valid chemical substitute for FA, we suggest the need for more in-depth studies targeting measures to minimize exposures to FA in pathology departments.
