Formaldehyde-releasers: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Formaldehyde-releasers in clothes: durable press chemical finishes. Part 1.

This is one of a series of review articles on formaldehyde-releasers and their relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy and in this paper formaldehyde-releasers used as durable press chemical finishes (DPCF) in textiles are discussed. The literature on allergy to DPCF since 1980 is presented in two parts. Part 1 (this article) presents a short historical overview of the problems with formaldehyde in clothes and discusses the chemistry of durable press chemical finishes, legislation in various countries, and studies on the amount of formaldehyde present in clothes.

Formaldehyde-releasers: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Part 2. Formaldehyde-releasers in clothes: durable press chemical finishes.

This is the second part of a review article on formaldehyde-releasers used as durable press chemical finishes (DPCF) in textiles. The early finishes contained large amounts of free formaldehyde, which led to many cases of allergic contact dermatitis to clothes in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, most finishes are based on modified dimethylol dihydroxyethyleneurea, which releases less formaldehyde.