recently, the federal ministry of food, agriculture and consumer protection amended the eighteenth regulation on commodities, the residual content of allergenic chromium(vi) may not be detected on commodities made of leather which are intended to come into prolonged contact with the human body, including but not limited to the clothing items, watchstraps, bags and rucksacks, chair covers, neck pouches and leather toys.
chromium(vi) is among the most important allergenic substances in terms of the frequency of occurrences of sensitization, posing a risk of carcerigenic. when in contact with skin, chromium(vi) may provoke irritable/toxic or allergic eczema. however, most of leather is tanned using chromium salts to make the leather products strengthen, good handfeeling and muggy resistent.
the limit of chromium(vi) in leather is 10 ppm by the international union of leather technologusts and chemists socienties(iultcs). chromium (vi) must not be detected or must be less than 3 ppm in the personal protective equipment (ppe) such as work gloves under germany’s request. chromium(vi) in leather can be detected according to iso 17075 or en 420. the restriction scope has been expanded from personal protective equipments to all leather in contact with the human body, which certainly will cause far-reaching influence to our leather products imported to eu. under this circumstance, ctt suggests all the interested parties should try best to improve the craft, alter the tanning agents, and adopt the high-qualified leather material to avoid risk of product recall.
