A Study of Toxic Effects of Formalin on Health of First Year Medical and Dental Students

Abstract

Introduction: Formalin is widely and commonly used as a fixative for microscopy, histology, preservative and disinfectant, etc. Despite formalin being extensively used in different fields, its toxicity is frequently ignored. It can be allergenic, carcinogenic or toxic to many organs such as pancreas, liver, kidney and brain. Aim: To study the toxic effects of formalin on health of first year medical and dental students. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of one year (February 2019 to January 2020) in the Department of Anatomy, SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Dhamangaon, Nashik, Maharashtra. This questionnaire based study was conducted on 200 first year medical and dental students. The percentage distribution of incidence of toxic effects of formalin pertaining to symptoms was calculated using Microsoft Excel 2019 spreadsheet software. The data were presented as frequency and percentage. Results: Out of 200 students, 180 students (85 females and 95 males) completed and returned the questionnaire. The toxic effects of formalin with symptoms such as lacrimation in 63.33%, itching of eyes in 81.67%, running nose in 51.11%, redness of eyes in 55%, burning of eyes in 80.5%, and headache in 42.22% of subjects were observed. The results were compared with previous studies conducted. Conclusion: Formalin toxicity is of concern to people working closely with it including embalmers, anatomists, medical and dental students. Awareness will bring a positive effect on their health. Also, through research, we will be able to contribute towards prevention of occupational hazards, rehabilitation of affected persons and dissemination of knowledge.

Keywords

• disinfectant
• fixative
• occupational hazard
• preservative
• toxicity