Occupational exposure to formaldehyde in dialysis units

Journal Article · Fri Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5393531

A company in Illinois that operates three dialysis centers became concerned about the occupational exposure of its employees to formaldehyde. The company requested an investigation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to determine the extent of employee exposure to formaldehyde. Investigators from NIOSH conducted an initial environmental survey of the facilities in April 1982 and a follow-up environmental survey in June 1982. In the areas used to reprocess dialyzers, they collected air samples to analyze for formaldehyde in the personal breathing zones of workers. The results showed that workers at two of the three facilities involved were exposed to formaldehyde concentrations of 0.50 and 0.57 parts per million (ppm), respectively, as a time-weighted average (TWA). The current Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard establishes a permissible exposure of 3 ppm, 8-hour TWA; NIOSH recommends minimizing workplace exposure levels and limiting exposure levels and limiting exposure to the lowest feasible level.

• OSTI ID: 5393531
• Journal Information: JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States), Vol. 256:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
FORMALDEHYDE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
SAFETY STANDARDS
MECHANICAL KIDNEY
DECONTAMINATION
AIR SAMPLERS
DIALYSIS
DISINFECTANTS
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
NIOSH
ALDEHYDES
ARTIFICIAL ORGANS
BODY
CLEANING
EQUIPMENT
GERMICIDES
KIDNEYS
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PROSTHESES
SAMPLERS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STANDARDS
US ORGANIZATIONS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology