Preface

Survey and Health Assessment of Possible Health Hazardous Compounds in Proofing Sprays

The project ”Survey and Health Assessment of Possible Health Hazardous Compounds in Proofing Sprays” was carried out from April 2007 till November 2007.

This report describes the project results, comprising a literature retrieval and information search about cases of toxification from proofing agents, survey of products and chemical analyses and a health assessment of a number of selected products.

As a starting point, registered information was collected about toxification of consumers who had used proofing sprays.

In addition, it was examined which products exist on the Danish market within the category textile proofing sprays.

Subsequently, a plan was drawn up for analyses and experimental investigations in co-operation with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. When the plan had been accepted, chemical and aerosol analyses of selected products as well as a health assessment of selected compounds were carried out.

The project was carried out by Danish Technological Institute with M.Sc., Ph.D. Anders Feilberg as project manager and cand. arch. Kathe Tønning, M.Sc., Ph.D. Anne-Gry Hemmersam and laboratory manager Eva Jacobsen as project co-workers. The health assessment was carried out by graduate in pharmacology Inge Søborg and M.Sc., Karl-Heinz Cohr from DHI.

In addition, the Danish Poison Information Centre at the Bispebjerg Hospital (Danish Clinic for Occupational and Environmental Medicine) contributed with an outline of Danish cases of toxification in connection with textile proofing agents. The outline can be seen in enclosure 1.

The project was followed by a reference group consisting of the following persons:

Anette Ejersted the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (chairman of the reference group)

Magnus Løfstedt the Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Bettina Ørsnæs Andersen the Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Anders Feilberg Danish Technological Institute

The project was financed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.