CONTACT ALLERGY DUE TO FORMALDEHYDE-RELEA SING BIOCIDES - ANALYSIS OFIVDK DATA FOR THE PERIOD 1992-1995

On the basis of data gathered by the Information Network of Departmens of Dermatology (IVDK) between 1992 and 1995 it was examined how frequ ent contact allergies due to formaldehyde releasers are, how often suc h allergies are accompanied by formaldehyde allergies, and whether the re is a correlation between the amount of formaldehyde set free and th e occurrence of concomitant reactions to formaldehyde and the releaser . Such an analysis is hampered by several problems: The liberation of formaldehyde from different releasers varies with the circumstances of application; corresponding practice-relevant data are only partly ava ilable. In patch testing formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers, reac tions are observed which are difficult to interpret and which may be i rritative as well as allergic phenomena. After all, such tests are oft en difficult to reproduce. Contact allergies against formaldehyde rele asers are rare: Even in a population deliberately tested with industri ally employed formaldehyde releasers only N,N'-methylene-bis-5-methyl- oxazolidine, benzyl hemiformal, Bioban P 1487 and Bronopol reach react ion frequencies of more than 1%. Among tests with formaldehyde release rs used in cosmetics and body care products, Bronopol was in the lead with 1.2% positive reactions. Despite the a. m. imponderables some kin d of correlation between the extent of formaldehyde release and the fr equency of concomitant reactions to formaldehyde and the resp. formald ehyde releaser can be observed. A coupling allergy due to simultaneous exposure is the most likely explanation for this.