Analysis of Aldehydes and Preservative Agents in Parchment and Leather Dust: A Pilot Study

Despite the extensive history and widespread use of leather, parchment, and vellum, a significant gap remains in our understanding of workers’ occupational exposures in this industry. This study investigated the chemical composition of bulk dust particles generated during the roughing and buffing processes of making parchment, aldehyde, aldehyde-formaldehyde, and vegetable-tanned leather processes in a local tannery. The study focused on the analysis of aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein and glutaraldehyde) and various preservative agents (p-chloro-m-cresol (PCMC), ortho-phenylphenol (OPP), 2-(thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole (TCMTB), octylisothiazolinone (OIT), and diiodomethyl-p-polysulfone (DIMPTS)) in the bulk dust samples using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results revealed varying concentrations of these chemicals across the samples, with aldehyde-formaldehyde-tanned leather bulk dust containing the highest formaldehyde levels (409.2 ppm). Parchment bulk dust recorded the highest acetaldehyde concentration in all samples (1.8 ppm), while vegetable-tanned leather bulk dust recorded the highest acrolein and glutaraldehyde content (13.2 and 3.7 ppm, respectively). Aldehyde-tanned leather bulk dust recorded the highest concentrations of PCMC (159.6 ppm) and DIMPTS (136.7 ppm). No detectable levels of OPP, TCMTB, or OIT were recorded in any of the samples. The concentrations of formaldehyde, PCMC, and DIMPTS reported in this study highlight the need for personal and environmental sampling in order to understand the health risks posed to workers in these environments. It was concluded that the bulk dust particles generated from parchment and leather-making contained concentrations of compounds that could pose potential health risks for workers in this industry, including the potential for allergic contact dermatitis, respiratory disorders, and carcinogenic effects, as reported by previous studies.