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Trace Laboratories Consumer Products Safety Division recently added the ability to determine the presence of dimethyl fumarate (also know as DMF) in leather products. The use of this chemical as a biocide has been connected with leather goods including furniture and footwear and has been determined to cause consumer health issues including allergic reactions and eczema. DMF is a fine, white crystalline powder, that can be applied directly or found in sachets and is used as an anti-fungal agent to kill mold and prevent deterioration associated with the leather products during storage and transportation. Sachets of the chemical are commonly placed in footwear boxes and fixed inside furniture leaving the consumer unaware of its presence. Over time, the DMF substance evaporates and becomes impregnated into the leather product to protect it from mold. Several health issues have been found to seriously affect consumers who were in contact with these leather products. Because of the body heat generated by humans, it has been found that the DMF compound can penetrate through clothing, resulting in skin dermatitis, skin burns, eye irritation and breathing difficulties. Clinical investigations have determined that levels as low as 1 part per million (ppm) may have the ability to produce allergic reactions[1]. The use of DMF has already been banned in many European nations and the import of products into the EU has been forbidden since January of 2009. The ban on such products containing DMF establishes a maximum concentration of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) and any products exceeding this limit shall be withdrawn from the market. The US has no effective ban on the importation or use of DMF. For more information on DMF testing or any of Trace’s extensive testing capabilities, please contactinfo@tracelabs.com. [1] Williams JDL, et al (2008) An outbreak of furniture dermatitis in the U.K. . British Journal of Dermatology 159: 233-234.