Study Shows that Methacrylate Polymers do not Cause Skin Sensitization When Handled

M. Pemberton and B. Lohmann quantified the risk of inducing skin allergy in consumers handling methacrylate polymers. They employed a modified approach based on that developed for fragrance ingredients, which has gained acceptance by many regulators in the US and Europe. They combined data on skin sensitizing potency of MMA from the Local Lymph Node Assay and data on migration of monomer from polymer migration studies (see Methacrylates and Sensitization) together with some conservative assumptions regarding conditions of consumer handling.  The risk of inducing Allergic Contact Dermatitis thus calculated was extremely low--that is, skin sensitization due to handling methacrylate polymers us very unlikely to occur under normal foreseeable conditions of use. The findings were published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (2014), "Risk Assessment of residual monomer migrating from acrylic polymers and causing allergic contact dermatitis during normal handling and use."