- Thousands of NHS staff are being exposed to harmful levels of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, in pathology departments across the UK.
- A study revealed that 70 per cent of NHS pathology departments exceed the European Union's eight-hour workplace limits for formaldehyde exposure.
- The UK maintains a significantly higher formaldehyde workplace exposure limit (two parts per million) compared to the EU's stricter limit (0.3 parts per million).
- Formaldehyde is classified as cancer-causing and has been linked to nasal tumours, leukaemia, and damage to the respiratory, reproductive, and nervous systems.
- Researchers are calling for urgent national regulatory intervention, including upgraded infrastructure, more frequent monitoring, and improved staff education and protective equipment.
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