Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Development of a Generic Analysis Method for Isothiazolinones in Consumer Products Prompted by Increased Sensitisation to Benzisothiazolinone

Farbrot, Anne ; Kentson, Jakob ; Akdeve, Hatice Koca ; Blom, Anders ; Ehn, Britt Marie ; Babic Mulic, Naida ; Amirbeagi, Firoozeh ; Alsterholm, Mikael and Hagvall, Lina LU (2026) In Contact Dermatitis
Abstract

Background: Isothiazolinones are widely used as preservatives in both cosmetic and non-cosmetic products. Sensitisation to isothiazolinones other than chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT), present in the baseline series, is increasing. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of sensitisation to benzisothiazolinone (BIT) in comparison to CMIT/MIT and to develop a product-independent analysis method of isothiazolinones for laboratories with basic instrumentation. Patients and Methods: Patch testing with BIT and CMIT/MIT was performed in 803 consecutively tested dermatitis patients. A simple and general analysis method for isothiazolinones was developed for HPLC-UV. Results: Investigation of 14 products labelled... (More)

Background: Isothiazolinones are widely used as preservatives in both cosmetic and non-cosmetic products. Sensitisation to isothiazolinones other than chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT), present in the baseline series, is increasing. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of sensitisation to benzisothiazolinone (BIT) in comparison to CMIT/MIT and to develop a product-independent analysis method of isothiazolinones for laboratories with basic instrumentation. Patients and Methods: Patch testing with BIT and CMIT/MIT was performed in 803 consecutively tested dermatitis patients. A simple and general analysis method for isothiazolinones was developed for HPLC-UV. Results: Investigation of 14 products labelled to contain BIT and/or CMIT/MIT (cosmetic and non-cosmetic) showed concentrations of BIT in non-cosmetic products of up to 272 ppm. Maximum detected concentrations of CMIT and MIT were 0.3 and 1.5 ppm, respectively. Dichloroctylisothiazolinone and MIT were detected in an unlabelled hobby paint. BIT was a significantly more common cause of sensitisation than CMIT/MIT, at 7.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Results confirm previous reports indicating that sensitisation to BIT is increasing in dermatitis patients in western Sweden. Analysis of products showed that concentrations of BIT can be several orders of magnitude higher than those of CMIT/MIT in products to which skin contact can be frequent and long lasting.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
benzisothiazolinone, contact allergy, HPLC, isothiazolinones, patch testing, preservatives
in
Contact Dermatitis
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:41889151
  • scopus:105034092064
ISSN
0105-1873
DOI
10.1111/cod.70147
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4062026c-d988-41c8-8548-439cbaed5d89
date added to LUP
2026-05-21 15:43:11
date last changed
2026-06-04 16:40:21
@article{4062026c-d988-41c8-8548-439cbaed5d89,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Isothiazolinones are widely used as preservatives in both cosmetic and non-cosmetic products. Sensitisation to isothiazolinones other than chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT), present in the baseline series, is increasing. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of sensitisation to benzisothiazolinone (BIT) in comparison to CMIT/MIT and to develop a product-independent analysis method of isothiazolinones for laboratories with basic instrumentation. Patients and Methods: Patch testing with BIT and CMIT/MIT was performed in 803 consecutively tested dermatitis patients. A simple and general analysis method for isothiazolinones was developed for HPLC-UV. Results: Investigation of 14 products labelled to contain BIT and/or CMIT/MIT (cosmetic and non-cosmetic) showed concentrations of BIT in non-cosmetic products of up to 272 ppm. Maximum detected concentrations of CMIT and MIT were 0.3 and 1.5 ppm, respectively. Dichloroctylisothiazolinone and MIT were detected in an unlabelled hobby paint. BIT was a significantly more common cause of sensitisation than CMIT/MIT, at 7.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Results confirm previous reports indicating that sensitisation to BIT is increasing in dermatitis patients in western Sweden. Analysis of products showed that concentrations of BIT can be several orders of magnitude higher than those of CMIT/MIT in products to which skin contact can be frequent and long lasting.</p>}},
  author       = {{Farbrot, Anne and Kentson, Jakob and Akdeve, Hatice Koca and Blom, Anders and Ehn, Britt Marie and Babic Mulic, Naida and Amirbeagi, Firoozeh and Alsterholm, Mikael and Hagvall, Lina}},
  issn         = {{0105-1873}},
  keywords     = {{benzisothiazolinone; contact allergy; HPLC; isothiazolinones; patch testing; preservatives}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Contact Dermatitis}},
  title        = {{Development of a Generic Analysis Method for Isothiazolinones in Consumer Products Prompted by Increased Sensitisation to Benzisothiazolinone}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cod.70147}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/cod.70147}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}