Abstract

Hygienic safety of rubbor articles was reviewed, concentrating on raw rubber, cross-linking agent, vulcanizing agent, vulcanization accelerator, antioxidant, reinforcing agent, and filler. Since the hygiene problems related to rubber have been investigated for only 10 years, many aspects are judged from experience, and very few data are available on chronic and carcinogenic test. It is necessary for the discussion on the hygienic safety of rubber articles to have the data not only on acute toxicity but also on sub-acute and chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and mutagenicity.