Contact phenol-formaldehyde resin

Urea-formaldehyde resins are used for applications in which the panel is not in contact with water. For applications with high level of humidity, the phenol-formaldehyde resins are required. In all cases, free formaldehyde constitutes a dangerous pollutant that is slowly released and can be particularly toxic in confined rooms. Recent research has been done to substitute this type of resin by natural binders, such as cross-linkable proteins (Silvestre et al., 2000 Yang et al., 2006). 

Bruze M. 1988. Patch testing with a mixture of 2 phenol-formaldehyde resins. Contact Dermatitis 19 116-119. 

Phenol-formaldehyde resin Phenolic resin molded articles, food-contact Melamine-formaldehyde resin Urea-formaldehyde resin... 

Grauer, R. (1966). Zinkformiat-dihydrat als Korrosionsprodukt auf Zink in Kontakt mit Phenol-Formaldehydharzen (Zinc formate dihydrate as the corrosion product on zinc in contact with phenol formaldehyde resins). Werksi. Korros., 17(9), 766 (in German). 

Bruze M (1986) Simultaneous reactions to phenol-formaldehyde resins colophony/hydroabietyl alcohol and balsam of Peru/ perfume mixture. Contact Dermatitis 14 119 Burge PS (1984) Occupational asthma, rhinitis and alveolitis due to colophony. In Pepys J (ed) Clinics in immunology and allergy. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 55-81 Burry JN (1976) Contact dermatitis from radiata pine. Contact Dermatitis 2 262-263... 

Phenol-formaldehyde resins can cause several types of damage to the skin. The most frequently reported effects are different types of contact dermatitis such as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. Depigmentation and contact urticaria have also been described. Reaction products, such as monomers and dimers, or remaining raw materials, such as phenols and aldehydes, are causative agents. 

Phenol-formaldehyde resins can cause irritant contact dermatitis (Fregert 1980) and chemical burns (Fisher 1973). Many phenols are known to be irritating and can cause chemical burns and the level of remaining or free phenol can vary in the resins. The reaction products, methylol phenols, generally seem to be less irritating to the skin than the phenols. Low or high pH of the resin can contribute to irritant contact dermatitis. The pH of a resin mainly depends on remaining or added catalyst which can be an acid or a base. 

Depigmentation can be caused by certain resins and is likely due to remaining phenols such as p-tert-butylphenol (Malten et al. 1971 Stevenson 1981). Contact urticaria has been ascribed to phenol-formaldehyde resins (Kalimo et al. 1980). Most reports about adverse effects from phenol-formaldehyde resins describe allergic contact dermatitis. Although free formaldehyde can be found in many phenol-formaldehyde resins, it is not a major sensitiser in these... 

In 1967, a possible relationship between contact allergy to phenol-formaldehyde resin and coal tar was noted (Hjort and Fregert 1967). Some simple phenols have been shown to be probable cross-reacting substances in patients hypersensitive to phenol-formaldehyde resin, for example o-cresol (Bruze and Zimerson 1997) o-Cresol is also a known component in coal and wood tar (Snell and Ettre 1973 Richardson 1993) and it has been identified as an allergen in phenol-formaldehyde resin (Bruze and Zimerson 1998). This could explain the connection to coal tar. It also indicates a possible connection to other sources of o-cresol, for example, tobacco smoke (Jeanty et al. 1984). 

For patients hypersensitive to p-fert-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin, for whom no clinically relevant contact to this resin can be found, patch testing with p-ferf-butyl catechol can be indicated. Patch testing with p-ferf-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin is not sufficient to detect hypersensivity to phenol-formaldehyde resins based on other phenols. A more complete patch testing for allergies to this group of resins should include testing with phenol-formaldehyde resin and the patients own resins/materials. Extracts of finished products can be useful for patch testing. Resins based on phenol and p-ferf-butylphenol can be tested as a mix. (Bruze 1985, 1988)... 

Bruze M (1986) Simultaneous reactions to phenol-formaldehyde resins colophony/hydroabietyl alcohol and balsam of Peru/ perfume mixture. Contact Dermatitis 14 119-120... 

Bruze M, Zimerson E (1998) Contact allergy to o-cresol - a sensitizer in phenol-formaldehyde resin. Clin Exp Dermatol (in press)... 

Bruze M, Fregert S, Zimerson E (1985) Contact allergy to phenol-formaldehyde resins. Contact Dermatitis 12 81-86... 

Freeman S (1997) Shoe dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 36 247-251 Fregert S (1980) Irritant dermatitis from phenol-formaldehyde resin powder. Contact Dermatitis 6 493 Fregert S, Hjort N (1969) Results of standard patch tests with substances abandoned. Contact Dermatitis Newslett 5 85-86 Fregert S, Tegner E (1972) Allergic contact dermatitis due to phenolic resin in ready products. Contact Dermatitis Newslett 12 328... 

E. Zimerson and M. Bruze Contact Allergy to Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins... 

Romaguera C, Grimalt F, Vilaplana J (1985) Paratertiary butyl-phenol formaldehyde resin in prosthesis. Contact Dermatitis... 

Vincenzi C, Guerra L, Peluso AM, Zucchelli V (1992) Allergic contact dermatitis due to phenol-formaldehyde resin in a knee-guard. Contact Dermatitis 27 54 van der Willingen AH, Stolz E, van Joost T (1987) Sensitization to phenol formaldehyde in rubber glue. Contact Dermati-tisi6 29i-292... 

Black rubber can sensitize hydraulic engineers. Assembly workers build the frame and both rivet and seal. Set-up men, riveters, retouching specialists, and engine fitter-mechanics may come into contact with sealants that may contain phenol-formaldehyde resin (Beck 1989), epoxy base (Handley and Burrows 1994), hexavalent chromate in hardeners for epoxy-based sealants (Handley and Burrows 1994) and polysulfides in two-part sealant bases (Wilkinson and Beck 1993 Bruze et al. 1996). Thiocol, a synthetic rubber based on polysulfide polymers, is used by aircraft fitters to dip screws and rivets into before use, and a fingertip dermatitis localized to the thumb and first two fingers of the dominant hand was seen in five of six fitters with positive patch-test reactions to the polysulfide-polymer-containing system (Wilkinson and Beck 1993). 

Beck MH (1989) Experiences of contact dermatitis associated with phenol formaldehyde resins. In Frosch PJ, Dooms-Goossens A, Lachapelle J-M, Rycroft RJG, Sheper RJ (eds) Current topics in contact dermatitis. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 374-376... 

Bjorkner B (1992) Plastic materials. In Rycroft RJG, Menne T, Frosch PJ, Benezra C (eds) Textbook of contact dermatitis. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 540-567 Bruze M (1988) Patch testing with a mixture of 2 phenol-formaldehyde resins. Contact Dermatitis 19 116-119 Bruze M, Trulsson L, Bendsoe N (1992) Patch testing with ultrasonic bath extracts. Am J Contact Dermat 3 133-137 Bruze M, Edenholm M, Engstrom K, Svensson G (1996) Occupational dermatoses in a Swedish aircraft plant. Contact Dermatitis 34 336-340... 

Epi-derm has received four reports of allergic contact dermatitis from phenol-formaldehyde resins and brake pad mixes (N. Cherry, personal communication). The medical literature has very few reports of dermatitis in the brake-lining industry. Phenol-formaldehyde resin is the main potential allergen in the occupational environment. Cashew-nut shell oil is well recognised as an allergen, but the materials used in brake linings rarely appear to sensitise. (Adams 1990). The species Anacardium occidentale produces cashew nuts. It is in the same family as poison ivy, oak and sumac found in North America and elsewhere. Cross-... 

The related para-tertiary butylphenol-formaldehyde resin is recommended by the European Environmental and Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG) for standard series patch testing (Bruynzeel et al. 1995). It does not, however, reliably cross-react with phenol-formaldehyde resin and is, therefore, not a good marker for such allergy (Bruze 1985). 

---