Formaldehyde revealed as disease risk to undertakers

Funeral directors may be at greater risk of suffering progressive neurological diseases because of the use of formaldehyde in embalming, according to a study in the United States.

The study found that men in jobs with a high probability of exposure to formaldehyde were about three times as likely to die of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of motor neurone disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, as those who had not been exposed to it.

The European Commission has restricted the use of formaldehyde but backed away from banning it for embalming in the face of opposition from a number of countries, including Ireland, who argued it would interfere with traditional funeral rites. Seeking more time to find a replacement, Irish funeral directors argued formaldehyde allowed them provide times for viewing of the corpse and traditional wakes.

Half a million people suffer from Lou Gehrig’s disease – which became better known last year because of the global ice-bucket challenge that became a social media sensation.

Named after an American baseball player, it is a progressive disease, causing muscle weakness, paralysis and, eventually, respiratory failure and death. Currently there is no known cure for the condition.

Though the numbers found by the US survey are small, all 493 men with a high probability of exposure to formaldehyde were funeral directors – and were four times more likely to die of ALS as people never exposed to it.

Privately Irish funeral directors argue formaldehyde – which delays decomposition – does not pose a risk to funeral home staff if it is properly used, with proper ventilation.

The US study found no evidence that women working in funeral homes were at risk, though they were more likely to be employed dealing with relatives, rather than embalming.

Pulling back from making final judgments about the influence of formaldehyde, authors from Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health said “no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect”.

The number of jobs where workers are exposed to formaldehyde are few, while funeral directors are exposed to other chemicals used in embalming as well as to bacteria.

Research so far has linked formaldehyde to nerve damage, damage to cell mitochondria and the production in the body of harmful free radicals – all linked to ALS.

Embalming has become more necessary in recent years because of the time it can take for funerals to take place – particularly if relatives have to travel from abroad.