Debbie,
You might remember that embalming fluid is a mixture of 70% formaldehyde an
d 30% methanol. The methanol should also be considered in sa
fety evaluations.
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medica; Toxicologist
Don:
Had more to do with the amount of f ormaldehyde to be scavenged. This was human anatomy class and even though the cadavers had been rinsed, the formaldehyde was still present.< /SPAN>
We=92re in Northern California, i n the northern Sacramento Valley - we=92re lucky if the humidity gets ove r 40% RH! A really humid day is 50% RH and we=92re all whining abou t sweltering. So hydrophilicity isn=92t a problem.
The anatomy class has been moved in to a new facility with down draft tables that are exhausted to the outside.
Hope this helps,
Debbie
----------------------
Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical S
afety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of Californi
a, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
(530)754-7964/
(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the W
orld A
Better Place -- Visit
www.HeroicStories.com and join the conspiracy
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS
-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Wanamaker
Sent: Friday
, April 30, 2010 7:02 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subje
ct: Re: [DCHAS-L] Formaldehyde filtration
Debbie,
Was the reason for a Big Carbon Bed (>12") due to high humidity or the concentration of the formaldehyde?
If I remember correctly, carbon beds are hydrophilic. Using another media (which can also be regenerated) in a high humi dity atmosphere is something that I've been shopping for... to capture low level VOCs used in cosmetics.
djw
Don Wanamaker
Environmental Management, Ltd.
(8
88) 4-EMLWEB or (888-436-5932)
 
;
----- Original Message -----
From: Debbie M. Deck er
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7:26 PM SPAN>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Formaldehyde filtratio n
Big Carbon Bed - several inches t hick. We=92ve had good luck with downdraft necropsy tables that run the exhaust through a really thick carbon bed - >12=94, if memory s erves. We were able to show that the formaldehyde was captured on t he carbon bed using an exposure dosimeter, both in the air stream out of the filter and on the humans in the space.
Hope this helps.
Debbie
------------------------
Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical S afety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of Californi a, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
(530)754-7964/ (530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the W orld A
Better Place -- Visit www.HeroicStories.com and join the conspiracy
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS -L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Ringen, Sonja G.
Sent: Wed nesday, April 28, 2010 2:48 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Formaldehyde filtration
We have a rese archer who would like to occasionally vent small quantities (micrograms/cub ic meter; maybe less) of formaldehyde from a vessel being developed to me asure greenhouse gases. Because the vessel sits on a laser table, and there is no fume hood in the laboratory, we are hesitant to tell him to vent it into the room (especially since the building is old and there i s very little turnover of the air in the room). I=92d like to find a filter for the exhaust before it goes outside, but have had trouble fin ding an effective filter. I know that activated charcoal is not ver y effective for such a small molecule.
What do you us e to filter formaldehyde from exhaust?
Sonja Ringen
Office of Safety, Health and Envi ronment
NIST/Boulder
325 Broadway, MC 173.02
Boulder, CO 80305< /P>
Phone: 303.497.7389
Mobile: 303.961.9251