Findings have shown that an embalming fluid containing Formalin, ethanol and Ammonium Salt go a long way to halt putrefaction faster.
Can this mixture affect:
1. The Forensic results to be obtained from the human sample?
2. Histopathological results?
3. Biochemical Results if any?
Your question is irritating, because halting putrefication is one of the main effects of formaldehyde. In clinical histology we routinely fix tissue in formalin-solutions (4% neutral buffered formaldehyde), to stop autolysis by denaturation of tissue-proteins. First use of formaldeyhde was as an antisepticum to kill bacterial activity.
Hi Gudrun Lang, kindly review the question carefully and give a valid answer. The question is not about formaldehyde mixture and water alone but with other components like common salt / ammonium salt and ethanol. These components are fixatives.
Formalin is a deep fixative, ethanol is a surface fixative and common salt is also fixative.
The question is, will the mixture of three constituents, when used to preserve a dead person whether for museum purpose, cadaver (teaching purpose) or commercial (funeral purpose), affect a histological result, biochemical or other forensic (toxicology, Histopathology, etc) results?
In my opinion you have to look at the single constituents. It depends on the concentration which one is the main effector in the embalming fluid. If the ethanol is of high percentage (96-100%) you will get an hardening effect at the surface, lower penetration-rate. If you use lower concentrations it will rather act as a dilution for the formaldehyde with milder denaturation. Formaldehyde has an optimal ph-milieu for binding to specific functional groups of aminoacids. It may act better in aequous than in alcoholic solution. And the presence of ions can influence the pH, the binding-quality and -preference of formaldehyde etc.
A high ion-concentration may mask the binding-sites for formaldehyde, but may act for itself as dehydrating agent.
In older literature you find many fixative-mixtures, and each of it has a special aim. But I think, they were found by trial and error and the scientific reasons are not documentated well.
I am not clever enough to give a really good answer. - maybe someone else?
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