News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups
Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups
Hosted by Robert Michel
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National Academy of Sciences Confirms That Formaldehyde Can Cause Cancer in a Finding That Has Implications for Anatomic Pathology and Histology Laboratories

Jul 13, 2015 | Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing

Confirmation of the risks of exposure to formaldehyde and formalin may encourage safety officers in pathology labs to use tissue processing methods that don’t use this chemical

Pathologists, histotechnologists, and other medical laboratory professionals who regularly work with formalin and other chemicals used in histology laboratories, know they are dangerous to the health of those who work with them daily. These other chemicals include xylene and toluene.

Last summer, the National Academy of Sciences (Academy) issued a statement declaring that the Academy concurs with the 2011 Report of Carcinogens (RoC) listing formaldehyde as a known cause of cancer in humans. It was in August when the Academy issued its statement on this issue.

Exposure to Formaldehyde Linked to Three Types of Cancer

The Report of Carcinogens concluded that there is positive correlation between exposure to formaldehyde and three types of cancer: (more…)

Health of Pathology Laboratory Technicians at Risk from Common Solvents like Xylene and Toluene

Jul 5, 2011 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology

Study identifies increased incidence of Raynaud’s phenomenon among pathology laboratory staff who work with certain chemicals

Pathologists responsible for health and safety in histology and cytology laboratories will be interested in the results of a newly published study involving staff exposure to certain chemicals. Researchers determined that medical laboratory technicians who handle common solvents develop auto-immune connective tissue diseases in increased numbers.

The new study was published this month in the Journal of Rheumatology. It offers credible evidence that clinical laboratory technicians, pathologists, and scientists who work with toluene and xylene double their chances of developing a vascular condition known as Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP). And for those who work with toluene and xylene combined with acetone or chlorinated solvents, the chance of developing severe RP increases by a factor of nine!

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