"Allergic reaction" to "MDF" (or it's "ingredients") - anyone got any experience with this - is it even possible in todays day and age with all the regulations/precautions in place?

Yesterday I was fitting and hanging a couple of decorative panels with MDF backing. They are for indoor use, per technical data sheet it's MDF E1 (no more than 0.10 ppm formaldehyde emissions).

I really don't do a lot with MDF, and the last time I used panels with MDF backing was roundabout ten years ago. However, without any issues.

Now while working with the panels, cutting them on the miter saw (with dust extraction), a couple of holes with a hole saw and then hanging them I had zero problems.

Then I went to clean up, removed the hose from the miter saw which was pretty much covered in finest, brown, MDF dust - I held the hose in my hand for the clean up - thus thats the only time I had "intensive" contact to the MDF dust, as I did not wipe the hose before touching and then using it.

About an hour after the cleanup, my face started itching and showed some light redness, that went away but sure enough traveled further down to my chest. When that stopped, my wrists started itching and hives formed on both. I treated that with a light coat of hydrocortisone cream in the evening and once more before going to bed. In the morning everything was good.

So I guess my main question is, is it likely the MDF - or was it just a coincidence, because as far as I understand, there can be like a million reasons for getting hives, and I've had that before, just not with the face/chest itching prior to it.

Before I pester my GP with it, anyone know if it's possible for a doctor/dermatologist to test for this stuff?

I have some more work to do with this stuff, so I will see what happens anyway - but it's was surely a first for me. Can't remember to have ever reacted to working with any kind of building materials before.

Kind regards,
Oliver

"Allergic reaction" to "MDF" (or it's "ingredients") - anyone got any experience with this - is it even possible in todays day and age with all the regulations/precautions in place?

The government(s) cannot regulate your allergic reactions to an ingredient of a product if it is deemed safe. You are allergic has nothing to do with regulations and precautions.

The "deemed safe" part is what I was referring to/ thinking about when I wrote that latter part: I was under the impression that the thresholds for certain, potentially harmful/ potentially allergenic ingredients are that low, that any reaction to them is rather unlikely. That in the end no one can control how my body reacts, is obviously true.

Kind regards,
Oliver

You are welcome.

I plan to keep that article, and study it some more.

I recall that my parents had a kitchen table made with mdf before the formaldehyde hazard was widely known. We have to keep in mind that there may be older sources of formaldehyde in our homes or workplaces, and the additional exposure that might come from working with mdf might add up to enough exposure to cause symptoms in a particular person.

Maybe you're allergic to a specific type of tree that was used in that batch of MDF.  Or there was some allergen/mold that was in that sawdust they used.

I'm insensitive to formaldehyde.  But some common wood species, even SPF dust, hit me harder.

The dust has a tendency to be much finer that any other wood products. It can make quite a mess, if you don't actively try to control it. Plus it's light and blows around in the air and even clinging to surfaces.
Most of the warnings here involve breathing it, rather than skin contact.

Dermatologists do perform allergy tests for contact dermatitis. The test is a bit of a pain because they do the “scratches” on your back in a grid and you can’t shower or bath for four days. I do not know what the particular items that they can test for are. I also do not know if they can get testing materials for specific items that you request although I doubt it. Contact dermatitis is definitely a thing, somewhat separate from or in addition to food and / or respiratory allergies. This is based on my experiences here in the states. I cannot speak regarding the medical practices in other countries although I doubt they differ materially.

I wash out my sinuses with a saline solution after cutting all day and also if my allergies are acting up (seasonal, but also sometimes related to whatever I’m cutting). Even with PPE, I feel better after a good rinse. I use the Navage, it’s like a NeilMed bottle or neti pot, but powered to draw out the saline wash into one nostril and out the other. Very efficient and more pleasant than the NeilMed.

I’ve noticed it helps my allergy symptoms a lot to flush everything out at end of day. I tend to get itchy and rash in contact with chemicals or certain kinds of wood dust.

Keep Benedryl in your first aid kit for next time, if you can. Allergies can be unpredictable in terms of severity (ie one day it’s a mild reaction, but the next time it’s really bad), they can get scary fast. (I have a kid with a nut allergy)

I wash out my sinuses with a saline solution after cutting all day and also if my allergies are acting up (seasonal, but also sometimes related to whatever I’m cutting). Even with PPE, I feel better after a good rinse. I use the Navage, it’s like a NeilMed bottle or neti pot, but powered to draw out the saline wash into one nostril and out the other. Very efficient and more pleasant than the NeilMed.

Ah, I had a powered Neti pot long ago, but it just pushed into one nostril. You can imagine how that didn't feel good if you were particularly congested... So I stopped using that one. I like the idea of the Navage and just ordered one (25% for Memorial Day coincidentally). That will definitely help. Thanks for the recommendation!

That sounds quite serious, I feel for you! Thanks for the recommendation!

In the mean time, I was able to finish the project without any further incidents/ allergic reaction(s). I did get a second dust extractor involved, used PPE (especially a FFP 3 filter), and wore gloves for the cleanup/ wiped the dust extractor hose before handling it for the cleanup.

In future I will try to simply avoid MDF whenever somehow possible.

Again, thank you very much for the contributions, everyone!

Kind regards,
Oliver

This article is a bit “scholarly” as it is written for professionals.  But the writing is fully understandable and seems like a good reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227115/

The noncarcinogenic effects of MDF dust and formaldehyde include eye and skin irritation [2, 7, 8], dermatitis, [9] respiratory illnesses such as nasal inflammation [10], asthma [7, 11, 12], bronchitis [13], coughing, loud breathing, and wheezing [11, 12], and lower chest discomfort [8]. Compared to those not exposed to MDF products, their lung function, for example, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), may also be reduced [7, 14, 15]. […]

Exposure to MDF dust and formaldehyde varied among employees from different working departments in the production process. As regards the type of wood, in terms of statistical significance, the amount of dust from MDF is greater than that from soft wood [16]. Apart from the type of wood and the size of the particles [17], the amount of dust also depends on the composition of the MDF, such as the connecting substances (e.g., glue). Concerning the efficiency of factory control, an appropriate ventilation system will reduce the concentration of MDF dust and formaldehyde, but the dust control systems in factories located in Southeast Asia are not usually very efficient [18], and so personal hazard preventions include the use of masks and so on [19].