Evaluation of analytical methods for the determination of free formaldehyde on textile substrate

Release of formaldehyde from durable press-treated fabrics is a problem for human health and safety because formaldehyde is suspected to be carcinogenic. The accuracy of the standard test method for the free formaldehyde determination, Japan Law 112, depends on the formaldehyde content of the sample. The detection of low formaldehyde contents is particularly important in fields, like children clothing, so the application of high-performance liquid chromatography was evaluated. The results obtained by the standard test method, Japan Law 112, where UV/Vis spectrometer was used, were compared with the results obtained by HPLC method in which separation was performed on an RP C18 column with water–methanol as a mobile phase. It was shown that the detection limit and limit of quantification were improved using the HPLC method.