Damien Hirst's Artworks Reportedly Leak Formaldehyde Fumes

Artist Damien Hirst is perhaps best-known for his works which involve the embalmed carcasses of dead animals. According to a recent report, some of these pieces were leaking dangerous and illegal amounts of formaldehyde gas during a show at London’s Tate Gallery in 2012. According to the study’s abstract, many of the tanks used were surrounded by clouds of carcinogenic formaldehyde fumes at a concentration of nearly five parts per million; for reference, the legal limit on these potentially dangerous fumes was set at 0.5 ppm. The works discussed include Hirst’s Away from the Flock, which consists of preserved lamb carrion, and Mother and Child (Divided), a work made up of four boxes, each containing half of a bisected cow and its calf. Similar results were found around some of the artworks Hirst displayed at Beijing’s Summer Palace. The study suggests that the boxes’ sealant may be to blame for the leaks, although Hirst and his team have yet to speak on the matter.