{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T10:39:03Z","timestamp":1777891143666,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["WOR"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,26]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND: The safety and health of healthcare workers employed in pathology laboratories and exposed to formaldehyde (FA) is a matter of concern worldwide, as several health effects have been observed in workers resulting from exposure to FA, both short and long-term. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed to describe the strategy implemented in a hospital pathology laboratory to minimize workers\u2019 exposure to FA through interventions to working environment and workforce. METHODS: The NIOSH 2016 method for detecting gaseous FA was adopted to perform personal and area active sampling of FA. The samples were subsequently analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The exposure to FA was measured before and after improvement interventions. RESULTS: The pre-intervention step showed FA levels exceeding the threshold limit values (TLV) established by ACGIH, both the time-weighted average (TLV-TWA) and short term exposure limit (TLV-STEL); after the improvement interventions, the median concentrations of personal and area FA sampling were respectively of 0.025 ppm (Range\u200a=\u200a0.023\u20130.027) and 0.023 ppm (Range\u200a=\u200a0.022\u20130.028) and significantly lower than pre-intervention step (p\u200a&lt;\u200a0.05) and below the TLV-TWA and TLV-STEL established by ACGIH. CONCLUSIONS: In our study the workers\u2019 involvement in the risk management of FA exposure together with engineering improvements revealed a strategic way to minimize the FA pollution in the studied laboratory. Healthcare companies should consider the need to ensure the workers\u2019 participation in the management of occupational hazards, including FA, to reach the goal of healthy workplaces.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3233\/wor-213470","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,18]],"date-time":"2021-05-18T14:00:14Z","timestamp":1621346414000},"page":"209-213","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Minimizing formaldehyde exposure in a hospital pathology laboratory"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"69","author":[{"given":"Gabriele","family":"d\u2019Ettorre","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Local Health Authority of Brindisi, Health Unit of Occupational Prevention and Protection, Brindisi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Caroli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Local Health Authority of Brindisi, Health Unit of Occupational Prevention and Protection, Brindisi, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mauro","family":"Mazzotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Salento, Occupational Medicine, Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"10.3233\/WOR-213470_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1080\/15569527.2018.1561709","article-title":"Evaluation of formaldehyde as an ocular irritant: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","volume":"38","author":"Vazquez-Ferreiro","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cutan Ocul Toxicol"},{"issue":"4","key":"10.3233\/WOR-213470_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1080\/10934529.2015.1109411","article-title":"Human health risks of formaldehyde indoor levels: An issue of concern","volume":"51","author":"Rovira","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ 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Increased levels of chromosomal aberrations and DNA damage in a group of workers exposed to formaldehyde. 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