Impact of occupational contact allergy to 1,3-diphenylguanidine (1,3-DPG) in case of occupational skin disease

Abstract

This recommendation assesses the im-pact of an occupational contact allergy to 1,3-diphenylguanidine (1,3-DPG) with re-gard to the reduction of the earning capacity in cases of occupational skin disease accord-ing to No. 5101 of the German list of occu-pational diseases. 1,3-DPG is being used as an accelerator in the production of products made of natural or synthetic rubber and thus, released from these products. In the past, it has been considered a less important contact sensitizer. More recently, increasing occurrence of 1,3-DPG in medical gloves has been reported, particularly in sterile surgical gloves made of chloroprene/polyisoprene. It must be considered that 1,3-DPG 1% in pet-rolatum has been classified as a problematic patch test substance. Especially, weak posi-tive patch test reactions could be irritant and thus, false-positive. Possible occupational exposures occur in the rubber industry and during assembling of rubber parts or han-dling of rubber products such as cable in-sulation, sealing, hoses, tires. 1,3-DPG may occur in protective gloves made of natural or synthetic rubber. However, with the excep-tion of sterile surgical gloves, it is not widely used in the production of protective gloves. Since the main but very limited exposure is related to rubber protective gloves and the good possibilities for their replacement, the impact of an occupationally acquired con-tact sensitization to 1,3-DPG is usually re-garded as ``low grade''.