Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31306/s.65.4.1
Strategy to evaluate the impact of formaldehyde in anatomical pathology laboratory – part i: occupational exposure and cancer risk
Stefano Dugheri
; Careggi University Hospital, Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology Laboratory, Florence, Italy
*
Giovanni Cappelli
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
Lucia Isolani
; ASUR Marche, Occupational Helath Safety Unit, Regional Health Unit, Macerata, Italy
Donato Squillaci
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
Elisabetta Bucaletti
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
Jacopo Ceccarelli
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
Simone Pettinari
; ASUR Marche, Occupational Helath Safety Unit, Regional Health Unit, Macerata, Italy
Giovanni Amagliani
; ASUR Marche, Occupational Helath Safety Unit, Regional Health Unit, Macerata, Italy
Niccolò Fanfani
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", Florence, Italy
Nicola Mucci
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
Giulio Arcangeli
; University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Florence, Italy
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Formaldehyde (FA) is a chemical compound commonly used in anatomical pathology laboratories as a tissue preservative, and it is common and epidemiologically related to cancer. Therefore, the personnel resident in the anatomical pathology laboratories is among the workers most exposed to FA and its related cancer and non-cancerogenic risk. Thus, risk assessment, cancerogenic and non-cancerogenic, and a careful occupational exposure assessment are recommended. In this study, FA was monitored in an Italian anatomical pathology laboratory to perform an occupational exposure assessment, according to the UNI EN 689:219, and to determine the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and the Lifetime Cancer Hazard Risk (LCHR) for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment, respectively. The exposure observed for pathologists and technicians is lower than the EU Occupational exposure limit mandatory (0.62 mg/m3), and both group of workers are in Compliance with it. Nevertheless, concerning the risk assessment, both the HQs and the LCHRs resulted in being higher (1.3 and 1.6 HQ and 3.2x10-5 and 3.9x10-5, for pathologists and technicians, respectively) than the ones observed in similar scenarios. This study shows how the exposure assessment to FA could face striving situations in terms of workers' health safeguard, due to the differences among occupational limits recommended and the high health risks, especially in the healthcare field.
Keywords
formaldehyde, health risk assessment, occupational exposure
Hrčak ID:
312969
URI
Publication date:
3.1.2024.
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