For Robert Mifflin, it started with sore eyes and a runny nose. Soon, he was experiencing vomiting and nosebleeds. Eventually, after three years, he had developed such severe problems with his breathing that he was unable to work.
As head of mortuary services at Oxford University, Mr Mifflin, 57, had spent years being exposed to formaldehyde – a cancer-causing chemical that experts have likened to asbestos – while preparing bodies in the medical school laboratory.
