Zinc Chloride Embalming in Antwerp

It is known that formol and phenol vapours are irritants to airways and eyes of man and animals and add to environmental problems. Personal health of the technician, tutors and students and efficiency considerations led to the adaptation of a zinc chloride embalming technique 7 years ago. Since the year 2000, the anatomy laboratory has embalmed 210 cadavers using this technique. All embalmed cadavers were used in dissection courses and experimental anatomy. The embalming solution contains of 10 litres Zinc Chloride® and 100 ml Arthyl®. Embalming starts with the injection of fluid through the femoral artery within one week of death. Blood is not removed from the cadaver. In order to shorten the embalming period, a pump is fitted to the canule and the solution is pumped into the cadaver in three to four hours. After embalming, the cadavers can be stored for over three years at four degrees Celsius temperature. Seven months after embalming, a cadaver was dissected and several tissues were removed one and two years post mortem. No irritation of the airways or the eyes was experienced during dissections by the technician, tutors and the students. Cadavers embalmed with zinc chloride have more flexible joints than cadavers embalmed with formol and phenol. Natural colours are preserved and odour is low. Microscopic morphology of embalmed cadaver specimens, removed one year post mortem, is comparable with microscopic morphology of specimens at the moment of embalming. The adapted embalming technique preserved the tissues sufficient for over two years. Experimental surgery can be performed because of flexibility of tissues and joints in cadavers embalmed with a zinc chloride solution. Budget University of Antwerp, Belgium