Teri,

We have been recycling our formalin for years.  We do not have any
additional exposure.  We empty the formalin into the container that gets
placed onto the recycler.  The recycler recycles it into the same carboy
that we place on the shelf and dispense from.   We do have ventilation on
the actual recycler.   WE still have to purchase half of our formalin but
it has been very successful.


Barb Davies
Memorial Hospital
Colorado Springs, CO



terij@prlnet.com (Teri Johnson)


terij@prlnet.com (Teri Johnson) on 04/04/2001 10:11:24 AM

To:   histonet <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
cc:

Subject:  Formaldehyde neutralizing vs recycling


Does anybody have any information or bias regarding formalin treatment
prior
to disposal or recycling?  I'd like to hear from some places who are
treating their formalin before disposing of it, and from others who are
recycling it.  It seems expensive to neutralize the formalin, but one has
to
weigh that against collection and handling formalin (testing and
re-buffering, not to mention formaldehyde exposure with loading and
unloading a recycling machine).  It seems that for the long run, recycling
is the best bang for the buck, but I do have concerns about increasing our
exposure levels with all that handling.

Thanks for your input!

-Teri Johnson
Physicians Reference Laboratory
Overland Park, KS