Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
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Exposure to Formaldehyde of Ambulatory Care Nurses in University Hospital

대학병원 내 외래간호사의 포름알데히드 노출 평가

  • Gu, Dongchul (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Chaekwan (Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine & Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje University) ;
  • Lee, Jaewan (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Suyeon (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Yun, Soonyoung (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Han, Areum (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Hyunju (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Park, Yeongbeom (Department of Food Processing and Bakery, Gangwon Provincial College) ;
  • Jeong, Seongwook (Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine & Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje University) ;
  • Moon, Chanseok (Department of Industrial Health, Pusan Catholic University)
  • 구동철 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 이채관 (인제대학교 부산백병원 직업환경의학과 환경.산업의학연구소) ;
  • 이재환 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 이수연 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 윤순영 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 한아름 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 김현주 (양산부산대학교병원 직업환경의학과) ;
  • 박영범 (강원도립대학 식품가공제과제빵과) ;
  • 정성욱 (인제대학교 부산백병원 직업환경의학과 환경.산업의학연구소) ;
  • 문찬석 (부산가톨릭대학교 산업보건학과)
  • Received : 2014.10.14
  • Accepted : 2014.12.12
  • Published : 2014.12.31
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Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the exposure status of formaldehyde(FA) among the nurses in ambulatory care departments of university hospital. Methods: Two university hospitals were surveyed. The FA concentration in air were measured to target 62 nurses in 8 ambulatory care departments(89 samples). Air sampling and analysis of FA were carried out according to the OSHA Method ID-205. The survey was conducted with questionnaire asking about how to control FA and whether the nurses use the formaldehyde protectors or not. Results: FA was detected in all samples. The maximum concentration of FA was 0.258 ppm and the geometric mean was 0.023 ppm. There was no sample that exceeded any of exposure standards by OSHA-TWA whereas there were 54 samples(60.7%) that exceeded the standards by NOISH-TWA. Among 62 nurses handling FA, 13 nurses(21.0%) used the protective gloves while nobody used a gas mask. It was assessed that any of 8 common ambulatory care departments did not use a safety cabinet for FA in which local exhaust ventilation was fixed. Conclusions: Nurses in ambulatory care departments were exposed to FA. Therefore, the environment management of a workplace, the health management of a nurses, FA handling education and installing a FA cabinet with a local exhaust ventilation were needed because FA as a carcinogen was able to cause any cancer to a human body if it was emitted in air for long time.

Keywords

References

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