Determination of the Levels of Heavy Metals and Formaldehyde in Baby Clothes in South Africa: A Case Study of Stores in the Greater Cape Town Region

Nyamukamba, Pardon; Bantom, C.; Mququ, Zethu; Ngcobo, T.; Isaacs, S.

doi:10.1155/2020/5084062

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These levels were similar to those found by Aldag et al [ 23 ], who reported a maximum level 75.9 mg/kg in several T-shirts and pants purchased in Germany. By contrast, formaldehyde levels in 34 textile samples acquired in South Africa were found within the range 0.036–0.090 mg/kg [ 54 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early-Life Exposure to Formaldehyde through Clothing

Herrero

González

Rovira

et al. 2022

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Clothes contain a wide range of chemicals, some of them potentially hazardous. Recently, there has been a growing interest in eco-friendly clothing, including the use of organic cotton. However, the process of eco-friendly fabric production does not exclude the use of toxic substances, such as formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. The present investigation was aimed at determining the presence of formaldehyde in eco-friendly and conventional clothing of pregnant women, babies, and toddlers from the Catalan (Spain) market. The potential effects of washing were also investigated by comparing the reduction of formaldehyde in unwashed and washed clothing. Formaldehyde was detected in 20% of samples, with a mean level of 8.96 mg/kg. Formaldehyde levels were surprisingly higher in eco-friendly than in regular garments (10.4 vs. 8.23 mg/kg). However, these differences were only significant (p < 0.05) for bras (11.6 vs. 7.46 mg/kg) and panties (27.1 vs. 6.38 mg/kg) of pregnant women. Dermal exposure and health risks were assessed for three vulnerable population groups: pregnant women, babies, and toddlers. In general, exposure was higher in babies (up to 1.11×10−3 mg/kg/day) than in other groups (2.58×10−4 and 4.50×10−3 mg/kg/day in pregnant women and toddlers, respectively). However, both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were below the safety limits (<1 and < 10−5, respectively) according to national regulations. Notwithstanding, although formaldehyde levels were below the legal limits (< 75 mg/kg) and health risks were within acceptable ranges, clothing may contain other toxic substances in addition to formaldehyde, thus increasing the risks. Finally, since no formaldehyde was detected in washed textile samples, a safe and simple practice for the consumers is to wash clothing before the first use.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early-Life Exposure to Formaldehyde through Clothing

Herrero

González

Rovira

et al. 2022

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Heavy metal concentrations in the samples investigated could be used to predict skin toxicity and estimate human exposure and health hazards. When metals are present in textile materials above specified levels, they may present a risk to human health through absorption through the skin [ 25 ]. The amounts of heavy metals in the T-shirts under investigation differed from one color to the other.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of some heavy metals and their health risk in T-shirts printed for a special program

Sima

2022

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Heavy metals often are used in different textile processes, like dyeing and printing. When the toxic elements are present in more than recommended in textile materials they may impose potential risk to human health by absorption through the skin. In this study concentrations of some heavy metals (Co, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Pb) were analyzed in skin contact fading T-shirts printed for a special program at Mettu town using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy with a microwave digestion method technique for sample preparation. High levels of Cu were found in black, green, blue, and red-colored T-shirts ranging from 26.726–179.315mg/kg. Cr exceeded the recommended limits in most samples of T-shirts and was mostly in yellow, black, and blue colors. Cd levels were found to be within normal ranges. However, all T-shirt samples had low levels of cobalt, ranging from 1.33±2.13 to3.94±0.21. Maximum lead concentrations were found to be 3.40 ± 0.19 mg/kg for red-colored samples and 2.71 ± 0.13 mg/kg for blue colored samples. The metal concentrations in the T-shirts investigated were also compared to the OEKO Tex standard 100 limits. In this investigation, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Cr in red and green colored T-shirt samples were above the OEKO Tex suggested standard value. Therefore a strict local and international regulation and measures need to be taken to avoid toxicity of the studied metals.

show abstract

“…The pH was determined using a modified version of the method developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 3071:2005), as reported by Nyamukamba et al [14]. About 2.0 g of the diapers were cut into small pieces for effective wetting of the samples and put in a volumetric flask containing 100 mL of water (pH 7.0, 27 • C).…”

Section: Ph Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is very important for formaldehyde to be within the limits for the safety of the babies, since formaldehyde can cause skin irritation and skin allergies and is carcinogenic to humans [20,21]. It has also been found that formaldehyde causes irritation of the mucous membrane and upper respiratory tract, as well as ocular irritation, among others [14,22]. When children are exposed to chemicals at an early stage, it can have serious and long-lasting implications.…”

Section: Formaldehydementioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of Selected Harmful Substances in Baby Diapers Available on the South African Market

Nyamukamba¹,

Mququ²,

Nkosi³

et al. 2023

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Baby diaper rash is a common problem, especially allergic contact dermatitis, which could be due to heavy metals, pH, formaldehyde, or allergens in the diapers. This study reports on the determination of formaldehyde, heavy metals (Pb, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Sr, Fe, and Cd), and pH in diapers purchased from low-, medium-, and high-end stores. Inductively coupled plasma was used to determine the concentrations of heavy metals after extraction using artificial urine and artificial sweat. All heavy metals were found in all diapers except Sr, which was not found in sample M7. All samples had concentrations of heavy metals within the Oeko-Tex limits, except samples H2 and L2, whose Ni concentrations were above permissible limits. Fifty percent of diapers had a formaldehyde concentration above the Oeko-Tex recommended limits. The highest formaldehyde concentration of 17.62 mg/kg was found in diaper M2 and the lowest (ca. 10.4 mg/kg) in H1. All samples had pH values in the alkaline region, with only five samples having pH values within the recommended limits. The research concluded that the diaper rash experienced by some babies, among other factors, could be due to high alkaline skin pH and formaldehyde levels, which are higher than the Oeko-Tex recommended limits.

show abstract

Determination of the Levels of Heavy Metals and Formaldehyde in Baby Clothes in South Africa: A Case Study of Stores in the Greater Cape Town Region

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Early-Life Exposure to Formaldehyde through Clothing

Early-Life Exposure to Formaldehyde through Clothing

Determination of some heavy metals and their health risk in T-shirts printed for a special program

Determination of Selected Harmful Substances in Baby Diapers Available on the South African Market

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About