Free formaldehyde in non-medical face masks purchased from the Japanese market since the COVID-19 outbreak

Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, people have been wearing face masks for many hours every day. As these face masks are in contact with the skin, it is important to pay more attention to their quality and safety. This study examined the concentration of free formaldehyde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering, 2022, Vol.57 (3), p.193-197
Main Authors: Kawakami, Tsuyoshi, Obama, Tomoko, Sakai, Shinobu, Takagi, Mihono, Takahashi, Natsuko, Oshima, Naohiro, Tahara, Maiko, Ikarashi, Yoshiaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergens
allergic contact dermatitis
Antiinfectives and antibacterials
Cloth
Contact dermatitis
Coronaviruses
Cotton
COVID-19
Dermatitis
Face
finishing treatment
Formaldehyde
Hydrochloric acid
mask
Masks
Pandemics
Polyurethane
Polyurethane resins
Textiles
Viral diseases
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Summary:Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, people have been wearing face masks for many hours every day. As these face masks are in contact with the skin, it is important to pay more attention to their quality and safety. This study examined the concentration of free formaldehyde in 90 non-medical face masks and related products (33 nonwoven, 30 woven cloth, 12 polyurethane, and 15 related products) because formaldehyde is a common contact allergen in textile products. For products consisting of mixed materials, each material was sampled, resulting in 103 samples for analysis. Free formaldehyde (34-239 μg/g) was found in three cloth masks, which consisted of cotton and polyester, with antibacterial and antiviral labeling. It was confirmed that the detected formaldehyde originated from the mask-finishing treatment by a hydrochloric acid extraction discrimination test. These masks may elicit contact dermatitis if the consumers have already been sensitized to formaldehyde. However, the risk of contact dermatitis caused by formaldehyde in masks may be considered low since the frequency of formaldehyde detection in masks in Japan is low.
ISSN:1093-4529
1532-4117
DOI:10.1080/10934529.2022.2047560