Analysis of primary aromatic amines originated from azo dyes in commercial textile products in Japan.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the actual condition of 26 types of carcinogenic primary aromatic amines (PAAs) originated from azo dyes in commercial textile products in Japan. In the case of textiles made of various fibers of various colors, the fibers were separated by color and analyzed. A total of 86 textile products (117 samples) were analyzed. Twenty-one kinds of PAAs were detected in the samples and almost all the PAAs were detected at low concentrations. However, the concentrations of benzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, and 2,4-diaminotoluene (56-440 μg g⁻¹) in placemats made of cotton were found to exceed EU regulation limits of 30 μg g⁻¹. Although such placemats do not always come into contact with the user's skin, it is thought that they should be handled more carefully. Finally, 7 products (8 samples) contained PAAs at concentrations that exceeded the regulation limits. Two sample preparation methods (with and without solvent extraction) were performed on the same sample in order to compare the PAAs in samples in which it is difficult to separate the component materials, such as a cotton fabric that contained polyester fibers. In a comparison of the results obtained from the two methods, it was observed that the concentrations and/or kinds of PAAs detected in the samples were different. It was therefore thought that textile products that present this particular challenge should be analyzed by both methods.