AZO Textile Leather Testing: Banned Aromatic Amines

AZO textile leather testing determines whether azo dyes used in textile and leather products can release banned aromatic amines. Azo dyes are synthetic dyestuffs widely used in the textile and leather industries, and under certain conditions some of them can break down into carcinogenic aromatic amines.

In the EU, azo dyes that may release any of 22 aromatic amines above 30 mg/kg (0.003%) are therefore banned in textile and leather articles that may come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin or oral cavity. The restriction was first introduced by Directive 2002/61/EC and, since 1 June 2009, has been part of entry 43 of Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation. A similar restriction applies in Türkiye under Annex 17 of the KKDİK Regulation.

Bans on these azo dyes started in Germany in the mid-1990s and were later harmonised across the EU. Voluntary standards such as OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 use the same list of amines. The 22 aromatic amines listed in Appendix 8 of REACH Annex XVII are:

4-Aminobiphenyl
Benzidine
4-Chloro-o-toluidine
2-Naphthylamine
o-Aminoazotoluene
5-Nitro-o-toluidine
4-Chloroaniline
4-Methoxy-m-phenylenediamine
4,4’-Methylenedianiline
3,3’-Dichlorobenzidine
3,3’-Dimethoxybenzidine
3,3’-Dimethylbenzidine
4,4’-Methylenedi-o-toluidine
6-Methoxy-m-toluidine (p-Cresidine)
4,4’-Methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline)
4,4’-Oxydianiline
4,4’-Thiodianiline
o-Toluidine
4-Methyl-m-phenylenediamine
2,4,5-Trimethylaniline
o-Anisidine (2-Methoxyaniline)
4-Aminoazobenzene

If you manufacture or import leather or textile products in the EU, you need to ensure that your products do not contain azo dyes that can release these amines above the limit value. Testing is carried out using EN ISO 14362-1 for textiles and EN ISO 17234-1 for leather. Other restricted substances in leather and textile products include REACH SVHCs, DMF, PFOS/PFOA, PAHs and other substances in REACH Annex XVII.

Which Products Need AZO Testing?

The restriction covers products in direct and prolonged contact with the skin or mouth, such as clothing, bedding, towels, hair accessories, wigs, hats, nappies and other sanitary items, sleeping bags, footwear, gloves, watch straps, handbags and wallets, and textile or leather toys. AZO testing should be carried out especially when working with a new supplier or when the dyeing recipe changes.

How Is AZO Testing Carried Out?

Samples are taken to represent all dyed components of the product. In the laboratory, the dye is cleaved under reducing conditions and the released aromatic amines are identified and quantified by chromatographic methods such as GC-MS or HPLC. The results are compared with the 30 mg/kg limit for each amine. A separate method (EN ISO 14362-3) is used for certain dyes that may release 4-aminoazobenzene.

What If the Result Is Not Compliant?

If the limit is exceeded, the product may not be placed on the EU market. To identify the source, the Safety Data Sheets and supplier declarations of the dyes and auxiliaries used should be reviewed, the problematic dye replaced with a safe alternative and the product retested. Doruksistem supports this process with root cause analysis and supplier evaluation and can also help you plan Oeko-Tex 100 certification for the same products.

As an EU importer, you can ask your suppliers for up-to-date test reports showing whether hazardous substances are present in your products. Doruksistem arranges AZO textile leather testing and other restricted substance analyses in accredited laboratories for you or your suppliers, evaluates the results and supports the EU compliance of your products. We also follow regulatory developments on azo dyes and keep you informed, and we plan testing according to product components and target markets to avoid unnecessary tests.

AZO - Textile & Leather