Formaldehyde Use Reduction in Mortuaries. 1994.
TURI Technical Report No. 24
File Name: techreport24.pdfFile Size: 1.33 MB
Note: This file can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader
File Synopsis: In 1993, there were 960 funeral homes distributed throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which were staffed with 2,400 licensed morticians. It is estimated that approximately 249,920 gallons of embalming fluids containing approximately 180,163 pounds (26,492 gallons) of formaldehyde are consumed each year by mortuaries in this state. The options for toxics use reduction (TUR) of formaldehyde in funeral services should include modification of societal behavior, changes in state legislation to allow the elimination of unnecessary embalming, and the use of embalming fluids with lower concentrations of formaldehyde has been replaced by an ethyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol combination is a potential alternative for mortuaries to consider. Download file...