Hi Chandra,
I spoke to one of our IHs and she shared the following:
“We do not have a guidance document for formaldehyde/formalin exposure but as an institution we conduct regular sampling for formaldehyde in our anatomy labs that perform embalming for the donor bodies and we use a combination of engineering,
administrative, and PPE controls. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Downdraft table
- Using push/pull ventilation system
- Only having one embalmer do the embalming procedure in a room with engineering controls mentioned above.
- Embalming of no more than one donor body by the same embalmer within the same workday.
- Annual medical evaluation and fit test and provision of half face respirator with formaldehyde/OV cartridge.
We are in the process of doing sampling for the dissection lab. Depending on the sampling results we will follow a similar approach with control measures:
- Use of dissection tables
- Modification to ventilation system depending on the results
- Limiting the number of researchers doing dissection in a room
- Provision of respirator as an added precaution”
Let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss further and I can put you in touch.
Sincerely,
Jack Reidy (he/him)
Research Safety Specialist & Chemical Hygiene Officer
Environmental Health & Safety
Stanford University
484 Oak Road, Stanford, CA, 94305
Tel: (650) 497-7614
I acknowledge that the land on which I live and work is the ancestral and unceded land of the
Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. As an uninvited guest on these lands, I am a beneficiary of the ongoing displacement of the Ohlone people. I pay my respects to the Native peoples, past
and present.
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
On Behalf Of Chandra Man Karki
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2026 3:51 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Formaldehyde Exposure in Anatomy Teaching Labs
Hello Safety world,
I am reaching out to gather insight on how your institutions manage formaldehyde/formalin exposure in teaching laboratory settings, specifically anatomy or brain dissection labs.
Case Example: A teaching lab conducts brain dissections using specimens preserved
in approximately 10% formalin.
Do you have any institutional policies or guidance on managing exposures in this type of setting?
-Chandra
Chandra Man Karki, M.S.
Chemical Safety Officer (CSO)
Office of Research Safety, University of Chicago
researchsafety.uchicago.edu
920 E. 58th St, CLSC 145, Chicago, IL 60637
Office Ph: (773) 702-5907
“Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless”- Jerry Smith
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