It may sound bizarre, but there are many people out there who suffer from chrome-allergy - I myself being one of them. As Volvo points out, chrome is a frequent skin sensitiser and for those that are allergic to it, touching leather tanned with chrome can cause contact eczema. Unfortunately, the only treatment is avoidance. With this in mind, Volvo has decided to treat its leather interiors with a chromium-free tanning process, using either natural or synthetic tanning materials.
According to the Swedish automaker, in addition to benefit those with chrome allergy, the new treatment also reduces environmental impact from the tanning process.
"At Volvo Cars, we have worked a long time with our suppliers to reduce chrome in the passenger cabin. Also hexavalent chrome, a well-known allergen, has been phased-out all through the car, in all Volvo models", says Andreas Andersson, responsible for clean car interiors at Volvo Cars.
