Formaldehyde in occupational environments: literature review and an occupational health surveillance proposal

Introduction:Formaldehyde is a substance widely used in the industry; however, it is classified as mutagenic and carcinogenic to humans. In order to determine the risk of workers who are occupationally exposed to formaldehyde, it is necessary to monitor its environmental concentration levels and the...

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Published inRevista de la Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Vol. 68; no. 3; pp. 425 - 437
Main Authors Villadiego-Molinares, Marisol Margarita, Ramírez-Martínez, Johanna Alejandra, Rodriguez-Pulido, Alba Isabel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Portuguese
Published Bogota Universidad Nacional de Colombia 01.09.2020
Subjects
Health surveillance
Literature reviews
MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
Needlestick injuries
Occupational health
Colombia
Pruebas de mutagenicidad
Formaldehyde (MeSH)
Occupational Exposure
Mutagenicity Tests
Biomarkers
Exposición ocupacional
Formaldehido (DeCS)
Biomarcadores
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Summary:Introduction:Formaldehyde is a substance widely used in the industry; however, it is classified as mutagenic and carcinogenic to humans. In order to determine the risk of workers who are occupationally exposed to formaldehyde, it is necessary to monitor its environmental concentration levels and the biomarkers that allow identifying its potential health effects. Unfortunately, in Colombia there are not guidelines on occupational exposure to this substance. Objective:To review recent studies on occupational exposure to formaldehyde to design a monitoring and surveillance strategy for Colombian workers exposed to this substance. Materials and methods:A literature review was conducted in PubMed, MedLine, Science- Direct and Embase using the following search strategy: articles on occupational exposure to formaldehyde published in English or Spanish between 2013 and 2017. The following search terms were used: “occupational exposure”, “formaldehyde” “mutagenicity test” y “DNA adducts” and their Spanish equivalents. Results:The initial search yielded 103 articles, of which only 36 met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions:Proper management of the risk derived from occupational exposure to formaldehyde, as well as the appropriate medical follow-up of these workers, requires the implementation of a series of interdisciplinary actions that allow the creation of a comprehensive occupational health surveillance system for workers exposed to this substance.
ISSN:0120-0011
2357-3848
DOI:10.15446/revfacmed.v68n3.73188