Determining the Heavy Metal Contents of Natural and Artificial Upholstery Leathers

Abstract

In this study, the amounts in natural and artificial leathers of heavy metals such as cadmium, cobalt, chrome, copper, mercury, nickel and lead, which are limited in many goods due to their toxicological features, and of aluminum and zinc, which are unlimited, were determined. First, the wet decomposition and the total heavy metal contents of the leathers were specified in ICP-OES. Later, the amount of heavy metal manifesting when the leathers were exposed to sweat and water was determined using ICP-OES. The heavy metal detected in the greatest quantities in natural and artificial leathers was chrome. Small amounts of aluminum, cobalt, copper, nickel and zinc were also determined due to the chemical and physical reactions during the dyeing and finishing processes,. However, neither hexavalent chrome, cadmium, mercury nor lead were encountered in either of the leather types. Finally, heavy metal contents were compared with standard limit values.