IDENTIFICATION OF FORMALDEHYDE RELEASERS AND OCCURRENCE OF FORMALDEHYDE AND FORMALDEHYDE RELEASERS IN REGISTERED CHEMICAL-PRODUCTS

Substances referred to as formaldehyde releasers were identified on re view of the literature. Information on product categories and typical concentrations for chemical products containing formaldehyde and forma ldehyde releasers was obtained from the Danish Product Register Data B ase (PROBAS). As of February 1992, 62,000 products were registered in PROBAS, 30,900 of these with information on composition and product ca tegory. Among the components of these products, 19 of the 22 identifie d formaldehyde releasers were found. The number of products registered with each formaldehyde releaser varied from 4 to 171, with cleaning a gents, soaps, shampoos, paint/lacquers, and cutting fluids as the most frequent product categories. The most frequently registered formaldeh yde releasers were bromonitropropanediol, bromonitrodioxane, and chlor oallylhexaminium chloride. Formaldehyde itself was registered in 1,781 products, and was found in all product categories included in the stu dy. It is concluded that products for industrial use as well as househ old and personal care products should be considered as sources of form aldehyde exposure. The use of unsystematic chemical names in literatur e is discussed. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.