[Analysis of formaldehyde in various chemical products for household use and in shampoos and bath liquids].

In the years 1987-1988 in cooperation with 34 Province Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations 938 samples of shampoos and bathing fluids were investigated, among them 40 imported shampoos, besides that 829 samples of chemical products for household use were analysed for the presence of formaldehyde. In the products which should not contain formaldehyde this compound was found in amounts from 0 to 50 mg/kg in 84.75% of shampoos and bathing fluids (77.18% of the samples contained no formaldehyde), 87.03% of fluids for washing of vessels, rinsing and softening of fabrics, and for washing or refrigerators (in 75.13% of these products formaldehyde was not found). The authors suggest that the permissible formaldehyde level for these products should be 50 mg/kg and should be accepted as contamination. In these products in which the permitted formaldehyde level was 0.1% already 99.12% of the samples was below that value.