Journal of Environmental Chemistry
Online ISSN : 1882-5818
Print ISSN : 0917-2408
ISSN-L : 0917-2408
Survey Report
Chromium and Cobalt Concentrations in Textile Products and the Amounts Eluted into Artificial Sweat
Tsuyoshi KAWAKAMIKazuo ISAMAYoshiaki IKARASHI
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2020 Volume 30 Pages 23-28

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Abstract

Metal allergy due to accessories, dental implants, and other metal-based household products is one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis. Meanwhile, nylon, wool, and silk textile products are often dyed with mordant dyes and metal complex acid dyes that contain chromium and cobalt, which are recognized as allergic metals. In this study, elements present in 78 textile products (106 samples) made of nylon, wool, and silk were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence using a fundamental parameter method. Twenty elements were detected in one or more samples, and Cr and Co were detected in 66 and 40 samples, respectively. The Cr concentration was found to be high, and exceeded 1,000 μg/g in 49 samples, among which, five samples showed >10,000 μg/g of Cr. On the other hand, the Co concentration exceeded 1,000 μg/g in three samples, and no sample showed >10,000 μg/g of Co. Both Cr and Co were detected in dark-toned samples (black, gray, and navy blue), and were hardly detected in light-toned samples (pink and red). Elution tests using seven samples which contained Cr and Co at high concentrations (>10,000 and >1,000 μg/g, respectively) were performed using artificial sweat. The Cr concentrations in acidic sweat (pH 5.5) and alkaline sweat (pH 8.0) were found to be 0.17-170 and 0.36-82 ng/mL, respectively, while the Co concentrations were found to be 0.042-130 and 0.028-130 ng/mL, respectively. The differences in the elution tendencies observed from each textile might be due to differences in the chemical structures of dyes containing Cr or Co. In the case of samples investigated in this study, it is deemed that Cr and Co are not likely to cause contact dermatitis at concentrations eluted into the artificial sweat.

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© 2020 Japan Society for Environmental Chemistry
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