Health risks from exposure to chemicals in clothing - Non-regulated halogenated aromatic compounds.

The objective of the present study was to investigate some commonly detected halogenated textile pollutants for their bioavailability and hazardous properties. Release into artificial sweat and skin absorption in vitro were examined as well as mutagenic effects by Ames test, and skin-sensitizing properties from a peptide reactivity assay combined with a cell test. All investigated compounds were shown to migrate from the textile into sweat and be absorbed by the skin, although to a different extent. The experimental values for migration were found to be up to 390 times higher compared to literature values. Two of the studied compounds, 2,5-dinitrochlorobenzene and 3,5-dinitrobromobenzene, both exhibited mutagenic effects in the Ames test, while both 2,5-dinitrochlorobenzene and 2,6-dichlorobenzene-1,4-diamine were classified as skin sensitizers. The allergenic reactivity of the latter was found to be due to an oxidized transformation product. Risks for the induction of skin allergy and other non-carcinogenic effects from dermal exposure to the individual compounds were found low, even when considering clothing with the highest reported levels. However, the complex mixtures of chemicals often present in garments may still constitute a health risk, especially when considering the many hours of daily exposure. It is important to further study the toxicity of other frequently occurring chemicals as well as the synergistic effects of chemicals that co-occur in clothing.

Solvent-free automated thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for direct screening of hazardous compounds in consumer textiles.

The global production of textiles utilizes numerous large-volume chemicals that may remain to some extent in the finished garments. Arylamines, quinolines, and halogenated nitrobenzene compounds are possible mutagens, carcinogens and/or skin sensitizers. For prevention, control of clothing and other textiles must be improved, especially those imported from countries without regulations of textile chemicals. An automated analytical methodology with on-line extraction, separation, and detection would largely simplify screening surveys of hazardous chemicals in textiles. Automated thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (ATD-GC/MS) was developed and evaluated as a solvent-free, direct chemical analysis for screening of textiles. It requires a minimum of sample handling with a total run time of 38 min including sample desorption, chromatographic separation, and mass spectrometric detection. For most of the studied compounds, method quantification limit (MQL) was below 5 µg/g for 5 mg of textile sample, which is sufficiently low for screening and control of quinoline and arylamines regulated by EU. Several chemicals were detected and quantified when the ATD-GC/MS method was applied in a limited pilot screening of synthetic fiber garments. A number of arylamines were detected, where some of the halogenated dinitroanilines were found in concentrations up to 300 µg/g. This is ten times higher than the concentration limit for similar arylamines listed by the EU REACH regulation. Other chemicals detected in the investigated textiles were several quinolines, benzothiazole, naphthalene, and 3,5-dinitrobromobenzene. Based on the present results, we suggest ATD-GC/MS as a screening method for the control of harmful chemicals in clothing garments and other textiles.

Disperse azo dyes, arylamines and halogenated dinitrobenzene compounds in synthetic garments on the Swedish market.

BACKGROUND: Azobenzene disperse dyes (azo DDs) are well-known as textile allergens, but the knowledge of their occurrence in garments is low. The numerous azo DDs and dye components found in textiles constitute a potential health risk, but only seven azo DDs are included in the European baseline patch test series (EBS). OBJECTIVES: To investigate non-regulated azo DDs and dye components in synthetic garments on the Swedish market. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and computerized data mining. RESULTS: Sixty-two azo DDs were detected, with Disperse Red 167:1 occurring in 67%, and 14 other DDs each found in >20% of the garments. Notably, the EBS dyes were less common, three even not detected, while arylamines were frequently detected and exceeded 1 mg/g in several garments. Also, halogenated dinitrobenzenes were identified in 25% of the textiles. CONCLUSION: Azo DDs and dye components, in complex compositions and with large variations, occurred frequently in the synthetic garments. The arylamines were shown to occur at much higher levels compared to the azo DDs, suggesting the former constitute a potentially higher health risk. The role of arylamines and halogenated dinitrobenzenes in textile allergy has to be further investigated.