Formaldehyde is used in textiles for anti shrink,
wrinkle/crease free finishing treatments
and as dye fixing agents for reactive dyes. In higher doses Formaldehyde is found to cause
skin allergies and irritation. It may be tested as free formaldehyde or
released formaldehyde. German law specifies that no more than 1500 mg/kg of formaldehyde
may be present on consumer textiles. However, Okeo Tex 100 norms specify the following limits. 20 mg/kg for baby wear, 75 mg/kg for items in direct contact with the skin and
300 mg/kg for outer wear.
Formaldehyde originates from three main sources of textile processing, crease
resistant finishes, dye fixing agents and pigment printing. Using such
chemicals with optimum parameters will ensure compliance with the law.
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