Surgical masks?

Would surgical masks work when dealing with heavy chemicals such as formaldehyde?

• I am a mortuary student and have always asked my professors about the long term effects smelling these nasty embalming fluids would have on our bodies. I was doing research in our campus library for a report I am doing and came across a section on how embalmers are more susceptible to a heck load of crap like diseases...cancers...ect...Now I am paranoid lol Ironic huh? I'm 21 and realizing that there is a chance that working on these dead bodies could cause me to get a disease in the future that could cause me to die because of working with them...get it? And...I never see anyone in the lab wearing masks or anything. I don't care about being the odd one out...I want to know how I can protect myself from these heavy chemicals? Would surgical masks work??? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

• Answer:

  Formeldehyde is a chemical known as a "volitile organic compound". That said, it is best if you wear a respirator that has a VOC-compliant cartridge. A surgical mask is really only for airborne particles and will therefore not be helpful. You should also work a well-ventilated area and wear nitrile or latex gloves. I don't know what kind of chemcials are used anymore in enbalming, but you do have a right to know exactly waht they are and how they can affect you. Your professor should be able to tell you these things. You can also ask for the MSDS paperwork on any chemicals used. MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheets. In fact, manufacturers are required BY LAW to provide these sheets for you if you request them, and your professors and your school need to have these up-to-date and on file! These sheets provide information on what excactly the chemicals you use are, what kind of long-term effects they will have, and what kind of protection you need to wear while using them. I would hope that your professors would be very knowlegable about the chemcals used and how to protect yourself while using them.