Formaldehyde Release From Clothing and Upholstery Fabrics Using the Chromotropic Acid Method.

Background: Formaldehyde resins may be used in textiles.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of formaldehyde in textiles using the chromotropic acid method.

Method: Clothing scraps (from local department store tailors, n = 77) and upholstery fabric cuttings (from a furniture reupholstery store, n = 22) were collected. Each fabric was cut into a 1-cm square and tested using the chromotropic acid method. Samples were retested in a systematic fashion (every 10th sample) to assess reproducibility.

Results: All 99 clothing and upholstery fabrics tested negative for formaldehyde release.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that textile manufactures may be using nonformaldehyde resins for durable press finishing in clothing likely to be tailored as well as fabrics used for furniture reupholstery. Additional studies involving other metropolitan areas and a variety of fabrics are needed to confirm these findings.