Formaldehyde is a chemical commonly used in hospitals as a tissue preservative; histopathology laboratory personnel are therefore among the workers most heavily exposed to formaldehyde. This study measured the formaldehyde exposure through ambient and personal air sampling, assessed the symptoms of poor health as well as estimating the health risk among hospital workers. We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study of both histopathology laboratory (exposed) and administration (nonexposed) workers in four hospitals in the Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia. Ambient and personal exposure to formaldehyde was measured using the OSHA 52 and NIOSH 2541 methods, respectively. The 8-hr time-weighted-average formaldehyde concentration was higher in exposed areas (0.25 ± 0.11 ppm) than nonexposed areas (0.08 ± 0.02 ppm). Histopathology workers were exposed to between 140% and 480% higher concentrations of formaldehyde than administration workers. Personal exposure was highest during grossing tasks (0.797 ± 0.436 ppm). A total of 67% of the exposed workers exhibited the same ten health symptoms related to formaldehyde exposure, and 57% of the nonexposed workers reported similar symptoms at their current workplace. Notably, symptoms of eye irritation, headache, drowsiness, and chest tightness were significantly more prevalent (p < 0.05; chi square and Fisher’s exact tests) among the exposed workers than the nonexposed workers. Among those with symptoms, 37% of the exposed workers, and 16% of the nonexposed workers believed that the symptoms were related to their current working environment. The noncancer effect of formaldehyde from air inhalation poses a potential risk of eye irritation among exposed workers. The cancer risk was not significant in both groups. Formaldehyde levels and symptoms of poor health were significantly higher among the exposed group. Exposure and risk could be minimised by strengthening control measures to improve indoor air quality in the workplace.
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