Evidence for chemical and cellula…ormaldehyde release.

Bronopol, a preservative marketed as a formaldehyde releaser, doesn't actually work the way we thought. Researchers found it releases very little formaldehyde but instead breaks down into other reactive molecules (like 2-bromoethanol) that trigger immune responses in skin cells at much lower concentrations than formaldehyde alone would. This means bronopol can cause allergic reactions through its own chemical activity, not just from the formaldehyde it releases.