Allergic electronics industry

Solvent-induced allergies can occur at a variety of working sites, e.g., in shoe factories, in electronic industries, in synthetic chemical industries, in metal industries or in perfume and potter industries (oil of turpentine and other solvents). Similar occurrence of solvents can be found in consumer products, e.g., in nail polishes (e.g., toluene). Allergic solvent substances are listed in various catalogues and databases. 

Palladium is used in the electronics and chemical industries, but there are no convincing case reports on work-related allergic contact dermatitis. Instead, the exposure has mainly been from jewelry and dental alloys (Aberer et al. 1993). The majority of patch-test positive patients show concomitant reactivity to nickel this has been interpreted as a sign of cross-reactivity. Patients who patch-test positive to palladium chloride rarely react when tested with palladium discs (Todd and Burrows 1992 de Fine Olivarius and Menne 1992). Palladium chloride is a potent sensitizer in the guinea pig, and animals induced with palladium chloride also react to nickel at patch testing (Wahlberg and Boman 1992). 

Propylene oxide is an allergic and irritant agent, used as a solvent and raw material in the chemical industry as starting material and intermediate for a broad spectrum of polymers. It can be used as a dehydrating agent for the preparation of slides in electron microscopy. Occupational dermatitis was also reported while using a skin disinfectant swab. 

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