Depending on how well the air in a room is mixed, 4 to 13 times more exhaust air is needed to achieve the same control as from the LEV system. General room (dilution) ventilation is another way to exhaust formaldehyde from the embalming room. Embalming equipment manufacturers and distributors can provide LEV systems for existing tables, or a sheet metal contractor can custom build the LEV system. For a slot width of 1 inch, the slot velocity is 720 feet per minute. The exhaust fan maintains an optimum airflow of 700 cubic feet per minute. ![]() These slot hoods capture formaldehyde by means of an exhaust fan placed outside the embalming room. The LEV system consists of a pair of 6-ft-long slot hoods placed on each side of the embalming table. NIOSH engineers designed and evaluated a local exhaust ventilation system that effectively reduces embalmer’s exposure to formaldehyde below the OSHA permissible limit of 0.75 ppm, as an 8-hr time-weighted average exposure. Exposure to formaldehyde over a long time may also cause cancer. At levels from 10 to 20 ppm, it causes cough, chest tightness, and unusual heart beat and from 50 to 100 ppm, fluid on the lungs, followed by death. Short-term exposures to this strong-smelling gas cause eye, nose, and throat irritation at levels up to 5 ppm. ![]() 1998 DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 98-149 HazardĮmbalmers are exposed to formaldehyde at concentrations averaging up to 9 parts per million (ppm) during embalming.
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