Allergic contact dermatitis from bisphenol A in PVC gloves

Bisphenol A is used as an antioxidant in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and as an inhibitor of end polymerization in PVC. Since 1998, we have investigated 4 cases of contact allergy from bisphenol A in PVC gloves. Only the case of the first patient, a packer in the food industry, has been reported in detail. A dentist and an oral hygienist apprentice had used disposable PVC gloves made by the same manufacturer, both in 1999. The dentist's PVC gloves contained 0.044% bisphenol A. In 2002, a cabin servant had used 2 brands of household-type PVC gloves. Her gloves contained 0.12% and 0.07% bisphenol A. Moreover, 2 of the patients reacted to p-tertiary butyl catechol, a polymerization inhibitor in PVC, but the connection between the allergic reaction and the PVC gloves could not be proven. In 2002, we analysed 16 brands of disposable PVC gloves for medical use, covering at least 80% of the Finnish market. We found a very small amount of bisphenol A in 1 brand, and no p-tertiary butyl catechol in any of the gloves. Nowadays, it seems that manufacturers avoid using bisphenol A in the production of disposable gloves for medical use, but bisphenol A should be remembered as a possible contact allergen in PVC products.