Formalin Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Formalin and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| False Negative Urobilinogen Result Due to the instability of urobilinogen, a false negative result may occur using a dipstick method if the urine specimen has remained at room temperature for an extended period of time in the light. A false negative result may also occur if formalin is present. | View Page |
| What is Formaldehyde? Formaldehyde solution is a colorless, aqueous solution containing not less than 37% of formaldehyde or CH2O. It is usually supplied in 55 gallon drums.Formalin is a 10% formaldehyde solution that is commonly used in the laboratory. | View Page |
| Warning Signs Areas where formalin is used must have warning signs.Access to these areas is limited to authorized persons trained to recognize the hazards of formaldehyde. | View Page |
| Warning Signs Areas where formalin may exceed exposure limits must have warning signs. Access to these areas is limited to authorized persons trained to recognize the hazards of formaldehyde. | View Page |
| If you become contaminated... Should you become contaminated with formaldehyde, a quick drench shower and an eye wash station are available in your area. If you splash formadehyde solution on your face or eyes, use the eyewash station to wash your eyes and face with copious amounts of water, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids, until all formalin is removed (at least 15 minutes).If your skin becomes contaminated, flush with water and soap for at least 15 minutes. If your clothing becomes saturated with formalin, remove it and place it in a sealed bag for decontamination. | View Page |
| In case of a spill... Smalll spills (generally less than one liter) may in most instances by handled by laboratory or other employees. However, if you experience symptoms of over-exposure during the clean up, such as burning eyes, or throat irritation, immediately leave the cleanup area and get help from your institution's Spill Response team or other designated persons.Larger spills (generally greater than 1 liter) will usually require immediate assistance from the Spill Response team or other designees. There are several ways to clean up small spills, two of which are described below:1. Dike up the formaldehyde with absorbent pillows. Then dispose of these pillows in a sealed, formaldehyde-labeled container. 2. A chemical that reacts with and neutralizes formalin such as ALDEX® may be used to treat the spill.Your supervisor will show you the location of these emergency spill clean-up materials or discuss alternative procedures. Be sure to follow your own institution's policies and procedures in regard to formalin spills. | View Page |
| What is Formaldehyde? Formaldehyde solution is a colorless, aqueous liquid with a pungent odor. Concentrated formaldehyde solutions contain not less than 37% of formaldehyde or CH2O. These are usually supplied in 55 gallon drums. Ten percent (10%) aqueous formaldehyde solution, known as formalin , is almost universally used in the histology laboratory to fix and store pathology specimens, and, while still an important potential health hazard, is safer to use because of its lower formaldehyde concentration. | View Page |
| Manufacturer's Label Formaldehyde containers have a manufacturer's label indicating the hazards associated with its use. These labels include name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, and appropriate hazard warnings. Formalin containers must always be appropriately labeled. | View Page |
| Fume Hoods and other Controls Engineering controls must be established to reduce formalin exposure to the lowest possible level. In most cases, chemical fume hoods or/and ventilated grossing stations serve as the primary engineering controls to reduce formaldehyde vapors. Rooms in which formalin is used may also require special direct exhaust ventilation. Formaldehyde should be dispensed or used in a chemical fume hood or other appropriately ventilated and approved work area. Check your laboratory's policies and procedures to be sure you use the engineering controls provided, as well as the required personal protective equipment. | View Page |
| Transporting formalin containers When formalin containers are transported, they must be secured with a top and placed so as to avoid tipping during transport. It is also advisable to place the primary containers in a secondary container to further reduce the risk of spills. | View Page |
| Packaging Considerations Several things need to be considered when you are determining how to package a laboratory specimen. These considerations include: Type of specimen Solid Liquid Classification Category A Category B Exempt Size of the specimen Temperature at which the specimen must be held during shipping Will dry ice be included in the package? The specimen components Does the specimen contain a preservative, such as formalin, that may be regulated? Mode of transportation Commercial ground Passenger air Cargo air Postal service Private or contract carrier using exclusive use motor vehicle | View Page |
| Additional Packaging Requirements for Category A and Category B Substances If multiple primary receptacles are placed in a single secondary packaging, they must be either individually wrapped or separated so as to prevent contact between them.The primary receptacle or the secondary packaging must be capable of withstanding, without leakage, an internal pressure producing a pressure differential of not less than 95 kPa (13.8 lbs/in2) because the package may be placed into an unpressurized storage compartment in a cargo aircraft. This must be verified when choosing packaging for shipping either category A or category B substances by aircraft. It is also recommended if shipping by ground. An evacuated blood collection tube that has remained unopened qualifies as a 95 kPa container. The smallest surface of the outer packaging must be at least 100 mm X 100mm (3.9 inches).Other dangerous goods must not be packed in the same packaging as Division 6.2 infectious substances unless they are necessary for preservation of the specimen (e.g., formalin). A quantity of 30 mL or less of formalin or other dangerous goods included in hazard Classes 3, 8, or 9 (flammable liquids such as alcohol; corrosives such as acids or bases; or miscellaneous hazardous materials) may be packed in each primary receptacle containing infectious substances. A quantity greater than 30 mL will require appropriate hazard labels on the package. | View Page |
| Arrange the major steps of the ethyl acetate concentration procedure in order of completion: | View Page |
| Arrange the four layers of material visible in the conical tube after the ethyl acetate concentration procedure has been performed in order from top to bottom: | View Page |
| Which of the following is considered as the best fixative for maintaining specimen integrity during and following permanent staining? | View Page |
| Diluting a specimen for counting on a hemacytometer Following liquefaction (20-30 minutes), mix the sample manually by swirling the container several times. Thorough mixing is essential for accurate counting. Calibrated automatic pipettes are used to prepare a dilution. Because of the viscosity of semen, the semen should be added to the diluent using a positive pressure pipettor.
The dilution often used for routine sperm counts is 1:20 but the actual dilution factor will vary depending on the total sperm count. For high concentration specimens a greater dilution will be necessary. For low concentrations an undiluted or minimally diluted specimen may be required. The appropriate dilution is determined by estimating the concentration needed to do a count of at least 100 cells per side of the loaded hemacytometer.
The diluent that may be used for sperm counts on a hemacytometer can be as follows: 5 gm of sodium bicarbonate in 100 ml of distilled water, plus 1ml of formalin (neutral). | View Page |