Detecting Formalin in Fish

[Revidall]

Hi there leebca. your thread is such a great help. I'm actually looking for a method on how to determine the formalin content in some fishes. that's what my teachers recommended to me.I'm asking for your help just for this time. I got few days to perform the experiment if I have the method. please reply as soon as possible. thank you.

[Revidall]

can anybody help me on how could i determine the formalin content in some fishes? does formalin preserve died fishes? i need your opinion right now. please. thank you.

[leebca]

Sorry. Can't help you with that. Formalin used to be used as a preservative, but was not very good. Don't know why it changed, although most likely it would distort cells rather than preserve them in their 'normal' state.

The object of preservation is to keep the organism in a condition where research, necropsy, etc. would still have value and that usually requires that the organism, on a cellular level is not distorted or altered in appearance (under a microscope).

I've moved your posts into their own thread to gain more attention.

[Revidall]

I see. thanks Lee for the reply. I almost forgot to ask you this, how much amount of formalin injected in a certain fish?
here in our place, some fish vendors inject formalin in some fishes to preserve it longer. do you think it's safe for us to eat the injected fish?

[leebca]

Formalin is a solution made using Formaldehyde gas. The gas is dissolved in water to its saturation point, which is about 37% of the gas in water. That is Formalin.

Formaldehyde (Formalin) is a known human carcinogen. It creates cancer in humans. I imagine it also has other harmful effects on humans. You should search the Internet for health issues relating to Formaldehyde and Formalin when ingested. Ingested items do have different effects.

Formalin is also known to be unstable, converting to other compounds when it gets old. I don't know the effect those other compounds have on people, but it would kill a living marine tropical fish.

[Revidall]

ah. got it. thanks again.

[Revidall]

anyway. Lee, can i copy your entry about formalin? just reply if its okay to you. I really need it. thanks again.

[leebca]

You may reference it by giving the link to its location. If you want to copy and paste or print it somewhere, it must give reference to the source where someone may go to read and find the original. Only then may you share it with others. Also, you do not have the authority nor right to allow anyone to copy it from you.