"An epidemic of Chinese sofa and chair dermatitis"

A chemical added into furniture shipments from China to prevent the growth of mold has been linked to severe rashes.

The chemical, dimethyl fumarate (DMF), can penetrate the fabric and subsequently clothing when a person sits on the furniture and cause contact dermatitis. Dimethyl fumarate is the methyl ester of fumaric acid.

The first five cases were reported in Europe in 2008. Since then, there have been more than 1,000 cases.

References:
Chemical in Furniture Linked to Skin Rashes. WebMD.
Image source: Dimethyl fumarate. Wikipedia,public domain.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous4/29/2010

    It is amazing how allergies are so prevelant everywhere - even where you least expect it. I would never think that a chemical in furniture shipments would case reactions. I continue to learn new things everyday on allergies. Very interesting stuff!
    www.achooallergy.com

    ReplyDelete