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Are allergenic disperse dyes used for dyeing textiles?
Laura Malinauskiene1, Erik Zimerson, Magnus Bruze
1Vilnius University Antakalnis Hospital Allergy Centre, Vilnius LT-10200, Lithuania. laura.malinauskiene@med.lu.se
Contact Dermatitis
|July 4, 2012
Summary
Disperse dyes, commonly used in allergy patch testing, are rarely found in synthetic textiles. This study investigated their presence in garments, finding them infrequently used in modern textile manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Textile chemistry
- Dermatology
- Analytical chemistry
Background:
- Disperse dyes are frequently used in patch testing for allergic reactions.
- Their presence in commercially available synthetic textiles is largely uninvestigated.
- Uncertainty exists regarding the current use of these dyes in garment manufacturing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To ascertain if eight specific, commonly allergenic disperse dyes are still utilized in textiles sold globally.
- To assess the relevance of current patch testing dyes to market availability.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 121 textile items from Europe, Asia, and the United States.
- Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) for initial dye identification.
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for confirmation of detected dyes.
Main Results:
- Positive results for investigated disperse dyes were found in only three of 121 textile items.
- Four specific disperse dyes were detected and confirmed using HPLC.
- Examples include Disperse Yellow 3, Disperse Blue 124, Disperse Blue 106, and Disperse Orange 1 in specific garments.
Conclusions:
- The eight most frequently implicated disperse dyes in textile dye dermatitis appear to be rarely used in contemporary textiles.
- This suggests a potential disconnect between patch testing allergens and current textile dye composition.
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