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TITLE:Occupational Safety and Health Through the Use of Protective Clothing DURATION: October 1, 1997, through September 30, 2002 Importance of the Problem A variety of health problems have been attributed to occupational exposure to toxic chemicals, especially pesticides. Data for pesticides alone exemplifies the extent and nature of the effects that can result from such exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 300,000 farm laborers suffer from pesticide poisonings annually (1). These poisonings can produce both acute and chronic health disorders. Some of the more serious effects include chronic neurological problems (2,3), immune system disorders (4) and various types of cancer (5,6,7). Hepatitis and seizure disorders as well as gastrointestinal, renal and pulmonary problems have also been reported (8). Srivastava et al. (9) describe the disruption in thyroid function that can occur due to exposure to organochlorine pesticide. A variety of less serious problems have also been noted, including nausea, eye and skin irritation, headaches, insomnia, mental confusion and drowsiness (10,11). Where protective clothing has been used to reduce pesticide exposure, additional issues have become apparent. Disposable clothing exacerbates the solid waste problem (12) whereas refurbishment of reusable can have negative effects on the physical and mechanical properties of the protective clothing materials. For example, Raheel and Dai (13) demonstrated that use of heat and light to decontaminate gloves could cause a loss of strength, elastic properties and puncture resistance. Extent of the Problem Occupational exposure to pesticides is a fact of life for the thousands of workers engaged in the application and use of these substances. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in the farm sector alone, some 560,000 sites such as farms, forests, and greenhouses have workers who come in contact with these chemicals during their workday (14). The EPA further notes that 100 million pounds of neurotoxins and 460 million pounds of irritants are used annually on farms (15). Pesticides are also widely used in other industries, such as lawn care and horticulture, and by homeowners. According to the EPA, 69 million American households, or more than 85% of the nations' total families, store and use pesticides (16). Moreover, another 8,000 commercial establishments handle pesticides during their daily operations. As noted above, the health risk inherent in frequent occupational exposure to pesticides is cause for serious concern. Although progress has been made in developing recommendations for types of clothing and clothing materials, worker exposure to pesticides remains a problem in a variety of occupations. Evidence for poisonings among farmworkers continues to be reported (17). McConnell, Pacheco and Magnotti (18) have drawn attention to the high risk for pesticide poisoning that can be incurred by crop duster aviation mechanics. With respect to greenhouse workers, Methner and Fenske (20) found permeation through protective clothing when workers came in contact with treated plants. Guidotti et al. (20) provided data on the exposure that occurs among workers who recycle pesticide containers. Firefighters represent another occupational group that is often exposed to toxic chemicals. Exposure may occur when stored chemicals are involved in a fire or as the primary problem in a hazardous materials call. Moreover, firefighters and farmers face similar problems in balancing the need for protection against chemical as well as thermal hazards versus heat stress. Two or more layers of clothing or one layer of relatively impermeable material provides relatively high protection from the external hazards but increases fatigue and heat stress due to reduced dissipation of body-generated heat (21). Need for Cooperative Work Despite efforts to find other methods of protecting employees from occupational hazards, clothing still remains a key component of most health and safety plans. In order to validate a model of chemical protective clothing that can be used to create guidelines for these plans, it is necessary to have input from multiple laboratories, especially for round robin testing. Furthermore, in many cases, the optimum type of clothing would protect against more than one type of hazard. For example, rose harvesters have the need for garments that reduce exposure to toxic chemicals while also decreasing puncture injuries. As noted earlier, firefighters often need both thermal and chemical protection in the course of performing their job duties. To solve these multifaceted problems, it is necessary to draw on a range of professional expertise that is rarely found on any one campus. A combination of testing devices is also needed, again more than what is available on any one campus. For example, the University of Alberta can provide access to an instrumented mannequin and flash fire exposure system to assess thermal protection of garments whereas the University of California has an evaporimeter to provide data on moisture transport and comfort of protective clothing. In addition to the unique expertise and equipment each member of the NC-170 committee brings to the project, there is also a history of cooperation in applying standard methodology to generate baseline data. As noted above, this is especially relevant to the fourth objective in which methods will be tested extensively by at least five laboratories as part of a round robin testing procedure. Benefits to the Solution The proposed research will benefit growers and other workers exposed to occupational hazards by considering thermal protection and heat stress in addition to chemical protection in making recommendations for improved protective clothing. As a companion to developing new protective clothing prototypes, the project will provide a synthesis of previous work in the form of a statistical model for selection and care of PPE. It will also supply answers to questions about appropriate storage conditions and guidelines for removing protective garments from service in hazardous situations. Furthermore it will reduce the environmental impact of PPE disposal. Relationship to Current Priorities As stated in the Program Description of the USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program:"Many agricultural and scientific communities, among them the Board of Agriculture of the National Research Council, the State Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy, the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Science, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board, user communities, USDA agencies, and professional and scientific groups have called for an increased investment in competitively awarded research as a means of providing new knowledge for credible environmental stewardship; for improved human health. Research is needed which will form a broad base of knowledge for cost-effective prevention and solutions of problems associated with production systems that are sustainable both environmentally and economically; for developing meant to protect natural resources (1994). This project directly speaks to two objectives of two national research initiatives. Specifically, objectives 1, 2 and 4 address the Priority Research Objective "Reduce pesticide use and the risk of human, animal, and environmental exposure to pesticides through research and citizen/consumer education under Integrated Pest Management." Objective 3 relates to the Priority Research Objective "Understand the relationships of human health, the food and fiber system, and the environment under Natural Resources and the Environment." Impact on Science By relating physical and chemical attributes of protective clothing materials to end-user attitudes and practices, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of the relationship between objective and subjective measures of textile attributes. This project will also add to the understanding of protective material degradation processes under various conditions over time. This latter area has received relatively little attention as researchers' initial focus has been on delineating the attributes of new materials. RELATED CURRENT AND PREVIOUS WORK Regional project NC-170, Enhancing Health and Safety Through Personal Protective Equipment (1992-97), focused on barrier effectiveness, comfort and functional properties, as well as effective decontamination processes for PPE materials and products for agricultural and urban pesticide applicators. Another aspect of that project has been identifying key factors including information delivery systems that influence the adoption of safe PPE practices. A large body of data has been generated by the NC-170 researchers on the fundamental mechanism of PPE material/product contamination, with particular emphasis on liquid chemical penetration/permeation and chemical interaction with PPE material, hence chemical degradation that will influence physical, mechanical, and barrier properties of PPE materials and products. In order to understand the barrier efficacy of textile substrates, it is important to elucidate the mechanism of contamination and distribution of the chemical contaminant in various textile geometries (22,23,24,25,26,27,28). Other factors that influence chemical/pesticide contamination, penetration/permeation are textile chemistry, surface energy, and porosity of the substrate (29,30,31,32,33,34); the chemical nature, molecular size, solubility parameter, multicomponent chemicals and different formulations of the chemical/pesticide (35); and chemical interaction/degradation of the substrate that influences barrier characteristics of PPE (36,37). Another area of concern is transfer of pesticides from contaminated PPE to human skin or other clothing (38,39), and the effects of soil or perspiration on transmission of chemicals through PPE (40,41,42), or to other family clothing due to refurbishing practices (43,44). As for decontamination of PPE, there is an expanse of literature created by NC-170 researchers and others (45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58). Nevertheless, scant research efforts have been made to investigate the effects of use, i.e., abrasion (59), refurbishing practices (machine washing, bleach, abrasion, removal of functional finishes, etc.), environmental exposure, i.e., sunlight, UV (60), heat, cold temperature, and storage conditions on the protective efficacy of PPE for different occupations. The research described in this proposal will expand on work on thermal and physical protection in addition to chemical protection for agricultural worker and address similar problems in other occupational settings such as firefighting. In addition, it will investigate changes that occur in PPE with use and storage under various conditions as well as problems associated with disposal of PPE. The proposed project will also take advantage of previous work to contribute to the creation of industry-wide consensus standards for chemical protective clothing. Baseline research conducted as part of NC-170 by researchers in Alberta, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota (61) used contamination, extraction and laundering procedures that were agreed upon by the group. Since then, the original procedures have been modified by various researchers. Comparison of methodology indicates that the majority of the differences are in sample size, placement of sample, exposure time and extraction procedures. Methodology based studies will be conducted on the following variables: distance between the micropipette tip and the fabric (62), fabric specimen size (63), pesticide exposure time (64), extraction volume and number of extractions (65), and computational methods for calculation of residue remain in the fabrics (66). This work will be used for standardization of the test procedures. CRIS searches received August, 1996 and December, 1996 Two regional projects, in addition to the current NC-170, were identified through CRIS searches as related to textile materials and human health. These are: W-175, Human Physiological and Perceptual Response to Textile-Skin Interface and S-272, Development of Textile Materials for Environmental Compatibility and Human Health and Safety. The W-175 project has focused on apparel fabrics rather than specialty fabrics. Research identified with this project has addressed general consumer issues such as whether methods to measure fabric hand should involve one sensory modality at a time or all modalities simultaneously. The S-272 project emphasizes the development of innovative textiles and related materials, especially those from agricultural fibers and by-projects, and how they would function as materials for human health and safety products. The proposed NC-170 project is concerned with specialty materials for PPE, especially chemical and thermal protective clothing, and builds on a history of research on this particular area. (S-250, Assessment of the Environmental Compatibility of Textiles and Other Polymeric Materials, was a precursor to S-272 and also focused on a broad range of consumer products, such as disposable diapers, and their fate in the environment.) OBJECTIVES
Objective 1 A holistic approach that combines predictive statistical modeling with laboratory and field studies will be used. Laboratory data from NC-170 research studies will be used to initiate development of a statistical model to predict protection afforded by selected textile systems to pesticide penetration. Additional characteristics of the selected textiles will be determined through fingerprinting methodology as described by Pan, Zeronian and Rhu (67). Further laboratory studies will extend the textile research base beyond woven fabrics to single and multi-layered fabrics, nonwovens, microporous membranes, and monolithic films. It is anticipated that the statistical model will lead to further design and human factor studies to evaluate prototype designs for the protection afforded against identified occupational and/or environmental hazards. The prototypes will be tested in the lab and in the field. The predictive model coupled with additional design research will lead to basic education programs on selection and use of personal protection equipment (PPE). Responsibilities and work assignments A) Statistical Model Participating states: IL, CA, MD, NY Illinois will collaborate with CA, MD and NY to characterize textile attributes of a large variety of textile systems and liquid chemicals that influence barrier performance of PPE. From these new data generated in the four states, as well as published data, a predictive model will be developed. Fabric characteristics will include fiber chemistry and morphology; yarn characteristics; fabric density, geometry, porosity, chemistry, viscosity, and surface tension. These data will be used to expand the scope of the predictive model. Characteristics of pesticides will be obtained from Ohio State University. B) Design and Human Factors Participating states: CA, IA, MI, OK Research on protective gloves will be extended to focus on desirable attributes in addition to chemical protection, including protection from thermal hazards and physical hazards, especially puncture wounds experienced by workers in citrus and cut flowers. Prototypes developed by one state will be evaluated in field tests in one or more additional states. Participants in these field tests will be surveyed regarding perceptions of the positive and negative attributes of the prototypes as well as opinions about the PPE they had been wearing before participating in the study. Items dealing with compliance and barriers to use of protective clothing will be included in the survey. IA will continue work on contamination of gloves and glove material by granular pesticides and also factors affecting decontamination. In addition, IA will expand on previous laboratory and survey work to investigate rural residents' preferences and attitudes about headwear designed to protect from sun and other environmental hazards. Alternative materials and designs for sun-protective headwear will be evaluated to identify those that provide effective barriers to UV. Similarly, CA will build on previous research to initiate a project with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to evaluate several firefighter uniform ensembles under simulated work conditions in collaboration with the Department of Exercise Science. Collaboration with researchers in Alberta will provide access to an instrumented mannequin and flash fire exposure system to assess thermal protection of the uniforms. C) Outreach Participating states: IA, OK, NE, NY An NC-170 Regional Research Outreach World Wide Web (WWW) Home Page will be developed for national and international audiences. It will provide information for researchers, educators, pesticide handlers and workers, and the interested public. The web site will include a bibliography of relevant research, an educational resource list, answers to frequently asked questions, and full text of selected Extension publications. Appropriate links will be made to websites of individual researchers and government agencies such as EPA and USDA. A list server will be created to stimulate dialogue and foster collaboration on PPE issues. It will be particularly useful for generating discussion during the ASTM standardization process and for evaluating educational efforts and delivery systems. An educational program on the selection of PPE based on material performance will be developed from the statistical model. The production of effective audio/visual, print, and interactive resources will be continued. Educational outreach programs will be developed to improve awareness of the possibility of secondary pesticide contamination and hazards for children. The three extension specialists participating in this objective will share results of project research with the extension community and facilitate transmission to farmers and other occupation groups targeted by this project. They will also take part in assessing the impact of outreach activities on consumers through mechanisms such as post intervention surveys. Objective 2 Participating states will share equipment and methodological expertise to characterize changes in PPE. CA will provide the fingerprinting data, IL will conduct the puncture tests, and Alberta will test garments on their instrumented mannequin. Participating states: CA, IL, A) Effects of environmental, use and storage conditions on functional integrity of clothing for pesticide applicators and agricultural workers IL will assess the effects of sunlight, including UV radiation and concomitant exposure to heat, as well as cold temperature on chemical protective clothing. Protective clothing will include disposable and reusable gloves, coverall materials and commonly used clothing by agricultural and urban pesticide applicators. All testing will be done in a laboratory setting to determine the functional integrity of PPE, that is, barrier performance against liquid chemicals as well as structural integrity of the PPE item that is important for determining the useful life cycle of the item. Sunlight, including UV radiation and concomitant heat exposure of PPE materials will be measured in a Weatherometer, using Xenon Arc irradiation, for varying lengths of time. Also, PPE will be exposed to freezing temperature as may occur during storage outdoors of pesticide applicators' clothing in a barn. In all situations PPE is subject to wear including abrasion, puncturing and removal of barrier coatings or finishes. Thus barrier performance and structural integrity of PPE must be assessed after exposure to wear conditions in the laboratory or in the field. IL will assess the effects of wear produced in the laboratory setting using standard methods of the ASTM, as well as wear occurring in the field testing of PPE items (gloves) by CA, IA and MI researchers under Objective 1 of this research proposal. B) Effects of environmental, use and storage conditions on functional integrity of clothing for wildland firefighters CA will assess the effects of machine washing and bleach as well as UV radiation and oxidation on materials including Nomex 3A that are being used or have promise for use in the uniforms of wildland firefighters. Fifty washings of the fabrics will be done using AATCC standard reference detergent 124, AATCC standard reference detergent WOB, and cationic or nonionic softeners. Another set of fabrics will be washed under the same conditions as described above but with the addition of oxygen or chlorine bleach to the wash water. In addition, materials will also be evaluated after exposure to UV light in the Weatherometer. The effects of these conditions on fabric pliability (bending, shear, drape, stiffness, surface, weight and thickness), fabric durability (tensile strength, tear strength, seam strength, and abrasion resistance), and fabric permeability (pore size and distribution, air permeability and moisture evaporation) will be determined. Standard methods of the ASTM and/or AATCC will be used to conduct these evaluations. In addition to the standard laboratory treatment of materials, garments that have been used for fighting fires also will be tested to determine the degradation that occurs under natural field conditions. Alberta will conduct laboratory tests of changes in uniform materials that occur during fire exposure. Objective 3 Participating states: CA, MI, NE Protective clothing provides obvious benefits in reducing exposure of the wearer to hazardous materials and has increasingly been required in a variety of occupations. Disposal of the protective clothing at the end of its use-life presents new problems including the quantity that is added to the solid waste stream and environmental and safety issues associated with incineration, or landfills. While government regulations or company or agency procedures are usually clear on the need for protective clothing, they are less clear on how to dispose of it. As noted by Graham (68) in his book entitled Harnessing Science for Environmental Regulation, "The regulatory system cannot work effectively without sound scientific data and thoughtful scientific judgment." In this case, it is important to characterize current PPE disposal policies, regulations and practices to determine factors affecting disposal decisions (e.g., cost, convenience) and how the different disposal methods could impact consumers and the environment. Responsibilities and work assignments MI, NE and CA will collaborate to develop questionnaires for both regulatory agencies and PPE users to determine regulations that are in effect, opinions about the regulations and extent of compliance. Data from the states will be compared to determine the effects of state factors, such as chemicals commonly used in a state and structure of regulatory bodies within a state, on type and effectiveness of disposal regulations. A set of core questions will be used by each state, with any additional items of interest in that particular state attached to the end of the survey. For example, Nebraska is especially interested in the knowledge and awareness of urban applicators. The core data from the surveys will be collated and used to assess current regulations as well as generate recommendations for more effective disposal systems. Objective 4 Participating states: IL, MD, NY The general procedure will include a thorough review of methods used for contamination of fabric, and refurbishment of contaminated material. This will include description of methods in published research, and also information from theses, dissertations, and in-house reports obtained from researchers. Procedures that provide strong rationale will be used to develop standardized contamination and laundering procedures. Methodology-based studies will be conducted to fill in any gaps that were not covered in previous research. The information obtained will be used to standardize laboratory protocol. The standard development process that will be followed is given below: 1. A new subcommittee and/or task group will be formed to work on standards related to pesticide contamination of textile materials. The input from user and producer groups will be sought. The members of the task group will draft working documents for new standards. The three standards being proposed are: (1) contamination of fabrics using liquid pesticides, (2) extraction and computation of pesticides and (3) procedures for laundering contaminated clothing. 2. Once the recommended procedure is agreed upon, it will be tested extensively by at least 5-6 states as part of a round robin test. The data will be used to validate the inter- and intra-laboratory results. The precision and bias statement for the test procedures will be specified. 3. As ASTM is a consensus organization, documents will be balloted at the subcommittee, main committee and society level. All negative votes will be addressed. Once approved by the society, a new ASTM standard will be issued. The working draft will also be submitted to ISO TC/94 for balloting as an international protective equipment standard. ISO protocol will be followed for the development of an ISO standard. Responsibilities and work assignments IL, NY, and MD will work on standardization of the pipette drop method used for application of pesticides. Round robin tests will be conducted at IA IL, MD, NY and one other laboratory to assess the validity and reproducibility of the revised test method. ASTM guidelines will be followed for the development of documentation. Maryland will take the lead in developing standard test methods for ASTM, as researchers at Maryland and New York are involved with the ASTM F23 committee on protective clothing. This project will result in improved health and a safer environment for farmers and those in related occupations. Laboratory work by the physical scientists to develop and refine a statistical model of textile system protection will be used in selection of materials for PPE prototypes. By including a variety of fabric characteristics in the model, the match between product specifications and user needs will be enhanced. The knowledge about laboratory performance of textile systems in conjunction with data collected by the social scientists from the users of PPE prototypes in field studies will lead to products that offer both improved protection and greater wearer satisfaction. Therefore, compliance with PPE regulations should increase. The laboratory work on degradation of PPE over time under various environmental, use and storage conditions will be used to compile guidelines on both care of PPE and optimum time for removal from service. Similarly the research on PPE disposal systems will provide the scientific data for disposal regulations. Technical expertise related to contamination and decontamination of PPE will be transferred to a national and international audience through working with ASTM and ISO on development of standards. In addition to this technology transfer, the outreach component of the project will establish a variety of channels for information transfer including a Home Page and a list server as well as more traditional forms of communication. NC-170 project participants have used seed support from the project to leverage funds from several outside sources including the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. It is anticipated that some additional funds will be available from these same sources for research related to the work outlined in the new proposal. In addition, several new sources of support will be sought. Contacts made during our 1995 annual meeting will be pursued, especially the ones in the Environmental Protection Agency. The possibility of corporate funding is also being explored through contacts at Du Pont. ORGANIZATION The organizational structure consists of a chair and secretary nominated and elected annually by and from the voting members of the technical committee. The chair will appoint subcommittee members as necessary to complete specific tasks. TITLE: Occupational Safety and Health Through the Use of Protective Clothing SIGNATURES: Administrative Advisor Date Chairman, Regional Association of Directors Date Chairman, Committee of Nine Date Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Date Education and Extension Service 1. Wilk, V. A. (1996). Toiling amid toxicity: U.S. farm labor force. Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy , 11(l), 68-71. 2. Stephens, R., Spurgeon, A., Calvert, L. A., Beach, J., Levy, L. S., Berry, H. and Harrington, J. M. (1995). Neuropsychological effects of long-term exposure to organophosphates in sheep dip. The Lancet, 345(8958), 1135-1139. 3. Callender, T. J., Morrow, L. and Subramanian, K. (1994). Evaluation of chronic neurological sequelae after acute pesticide exposure using spect brain scans. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 41(3), pp. 275. 4. Marwick, C. (1996). Provocative report issued on use of pesticides. Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(12), 899-900. 5. Garry,, V. F., Tarone, R. E., I-ong, L., Griffith, J., et al. (1996). Pesticide appliers with mixed pesticide exposure: G-banded analysis and possible relationship to non- Hodgkin's lymphoma. 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Methyl parathion residue retained in fabrics for functional clothing resulting from use of cationic softeners in laundering. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 44, 737. 45. Easley, C. B., Laughlin, J. M. and Gold, R. E. (1981). Methyl parathion removal from denim fabrics by selected laundering procedures. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 27, 101. 46. Easley, C. B., Laughlin, J. M., Gold, R. E. and Schmidt, K. (1982). Detergents and water temperature as factors in methyl parathion removal from denim fabrics. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 28, 239. 47. Easter, E. (1983). Removal of pesticide residues from fabrics by laundering. (1983). Text. Chem. Color., 15, 29. 48. Keashall, J. L., Laughlin, J. M. and Gold, R. E. (1986). Effect of laundering procedures and functional finishes on removal of insecticides selected from three chemical classes. Performance of Protective Clothing, STP #900 (Barker, R. L and Coletta, G. C., eds.), ASTM, Philadelphia, 162. 49. Kim, C. J., Kadolph, S. J. and Stone, L. F. (1988). Effects of pretreatment detergent, water hardness, drying method, and fiber content on fonofos residue removal from clothing fabrics. Proceeding of the Ist International Symposium of Impact of Pesticide, Industrial, Consumer Chemicals, 202-210. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia. 50. Kim, C. J. (1989). Effect of convection-oven and microwave-oven drying on removal of alachlor residues in a fabric structure. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 43, 904. 51. Laughlin, J. M. and Gold, R. E. (1988a). Cleaning protective apparel to reduce pesticide exposure. Rev. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 101, 94. 52. Laughlin, J. M., Lamplot, J. L. and Gold, R. E. (1988b). Chlorpyrifos residues in protective apparel fabrics following commercial or consumer refurbishment. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP #989 (S. Z. Mandorf, R. Sager, and A.P. Nielsen, eds.), ASTM, Philadelphia, 705. 53. Laughlin and Gold, 1989, op. cit. 54. Laughlin, J., Newburn, K. and Gold, R. E. (1991). Pyrethroid insecticides and formulation as factors in residues remaining in apparel fabrics after laundering. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 47, 355. 55. Nelson, C., Laughlin, J., Mm, C., Rigakis, K., Raheel, M. and Scholten, L. (1992). Laundering as decontamination of apparel fabrics: Residues of pesticides from six chemical classes. Journal of Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 23(6), 85-90. 56. Raheel, M. (1987). Efficacy of laundering variables in removing carbaryl and atrazine residues from contaminated fabrics. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol. , 29, 671-679. 57. Stone, J. F., Higby, P., Shelley, M., Stahr, H. M., and Huck, J. (1993). Effects of liquid laundry starch on terbufos residues, thermal insulation, and permeability of cotton work fabrics. In: B. M. Reagan, J. Huck, and J. Porter, Eds. Second International Symposium Proceedings on Consumer Environmental Issues: Safety Health, Chemicals and Textiles in the Near Environment. St. Petersburg, FL. May. 58. Stone, J., Guo, C. and Stahr, H. M. (1996). Glove cleanup following granular insecticide exposure. Abstract in Proceedings International Textile and Apparel Association, Inc., Monument, CO, p. 66. 59. Shaw, A., Lin, Y. and Pfeil, E. (1996). Effect of abrasion on protective properties of polyester and cotton/polyester blend fabrics. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol., 56 935-941. 60. Shaw, A. and Lin. Y. (1993b). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of Diazinon in fabric exposed to various simulated sunlight and humidity conditions. In: Reagan, B., Huck, J. and Poter, J. (eds.). Textiles in the Near Environment, Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Consumer Environmental Issues: Safety Health, Chemicals and Textiles in the Near Environment. 61. Nelson, et al., 1992, op. cit. 62. Perenich, T. (1996). In preparation. 63. Shaw, A. and Lin, Y. (1997). Impact of computational methods used on pesticide residue reported in cotton, polyester, and cotton/polyester blend fabrics. Performance of Protective Clothing: 6th Volume, ASTM STP 12739 J. 0. Stull and A.D. Schwope, Eds., American Society for Testing and Materials. 64. Shaw, A. and Hill, K. (1991). Effect of exposure time on the sorption of pesticide emulsifiable concentrates through microporous fabrics. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 46, 45-52. 65. Easter, E., Leonas, K. and DeJonge, J. (1983). A reproducible method for the extraction of pesticide residues from fabrics. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 31, 738-744. 66. Shaw and Lin, 1997, op. cit. 67. Pan, N., Zeronian, H. and Ryu, H. S. (1993). An alternative approach to the objective measurement of fabrics. Textile Research Journal 63, 33-43. 68. Graham, J. D. (1991). Harnessing Science for Environmental Regulation. New York: Praeger. ATTACHMENTS Project Leaders Donna Branson, OK/Oklahoma State University: Functional Design Charlotte Coffman, NY/Cornell University: Senior Extension Associate Elizabeth Crown, Canada/University of Alberta: Functional Design, Thermal Protection Kay Obendorf, NY/Cornell University: Fiber Science Ning Pan, CA/University of California, Davis: Textile Physics Theresa Perenich, GA/University of Georgia: Textile Chemistry Mastura Raheel, IL/University of Illinois: Textile Physics and Chemistry Katherine Rigakis, Canada/University of Alberta: Textile Chemistry Margaret Rucker, CA/University of California, Davis: Textile Marketing and Consumer Behavior Anugrah Shaw, MD/University of Maryland-Eastern Shore: Textile Chemistry Ann Slocum, MI/Michigan State University: Social Science and Functional Design Janis Stone, IA/lowa State University: Extension Specialist Gang Sun, CA/University of California, Davis: Textile Chemistry Rose Marie Tondl, NE/University of Nebraska: Extension Clothing Specialist Resources
Maximizing human health and safety in work environments continues to receive attention because workers may be exposed to an increasing number of mechanical, chemical, and biological health hazards. The NC-170 regional research group has focused their research on minimizing pesticide exposure of primarily agricultural and secondarily urban pesticide applicators through the design, selection, use and decontamination of appropriate protective clothing. This group of researchers has established an impressive record of fundamental scientific work that sheds light on protective attributes (barrier properties, chemical permeation, penetration, interaction and decontamination) of various textile systems, and selected human factor issues (thermal comfort, mobility, sizing and dexterity). In addition, the group developed baseline data on attitudes and practices of farm families toward pesticides and worker clothing for a broad geographical representation. The farm family data and decontamination data provide considerable information relative to secondary pesticide exposure of other family members. To date, an extensive research base has been developed and disseminated through scientific/technical channels. Equally important, the NC-170 research group included extension faculty who participated in the research component of the project as well as developing and delivering outreach programs to educate clientele in over ten states and one Canadian province about the use and care of PPE. Moreover, two international symposiums were hosted by the group to further disseminate research findings and the practical dimension of the research. A third will be hosted May 1997. The Guidance Manual for Selecting Protective Clothing for Agricultural Pesticide Operations (EPA, 1993a) embodies recommendations drawn from NC-170 research findings. The 1982 Gold and Laughlin publication directly influenced the development of a recommendation from the World Health Organization (Gold and Laughlin, 1982). The proposed project builds on previous work in several ways. First, the relationship between providing chemical protection and other health and safety issues will be addressed in a more aggressive manner. In particular, problems of heat stress associated with chemical protective clothing will be a focus of attention through activities such as refinement of artificially-cooled clothing systems. In addition, we propose to extend our work on protective clothing for farmers and their employees to other hazardous work applications (specifically firefighters) as described in this proposal. Secondly, we will examine changes in level of chemical protection as well as changes in other desirable clothing attributes that occur under different types of storage and decontamination conditions. Most of the previous work has focused on new materials. Third, we will evaluate alternate forms of PPE disposal for their impact on human health and the environment. Appropriate and efficient use of natural resources and environmental stewardship is a challenge that faces all sectors of society. Textiles and textile products that provide single use protection to humans from various types of hazards, can in themselves be an environmental hazard and a pollution source in the disposal state. Increased public awareness of the environment (e.g., pollution control and proper waste disposal) will surely generate questions related to the trade-offs between decontamination methods for multiple use PPE and disposal of single use PPE. This proposal seeks to initiate a research base in this area to provide practical responses to such questions. Lastly, we propose to extend the NC-170 methods of research in support of national and international standardization efforts. See Appendix I for the publication record for the current project. APPENDIX 1 - NC-170 Publication Record to Date Branson, D. H., Simpson, L.S., Claypool, L. P., Chair, V., and Ruiz, B. M. (1997). Comparison of prototype artificially-cooled chemical protective glove systems. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1273, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. Burns, D.J., and Nelson, C.N. (1992) A strategy to increase employee use of protective clothing. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1133, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. Laughlin, J. (1993). Cleaning pesticide contaminated clothing (Part 11). Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicolgy, 130, 79-94. Laughlin, J. (1992). Statistical fit models of methyl parathion decontamination from applicator clothing. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1133, Philadelphia:American Society for Testing and Materials. Laughlin, J. (1992). Methyl parathion residues in protective apparel fabrics: Effect of residual soils on decontamination. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1133, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. PA. Laughlin, J., and Nelson, C. (1992). Decontaminating Personal Protective Equipment of Applicators:NOKOBETEF IV, 179-185. Laughlin, J. (1992). Pyrethroid Residues: Evaluation of Decontamination Procedures. NOKOBETEF IV, 169-202. Nelson, C., Laughlin, J., Mm, C., Rigakis, K., Raheel, M., and Scholten, L. (1992).Laundering as decontamination of apparel fabrics: Residues of pesticides from six chemical classes. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 23(6), 85-90. Nelson, C., Braaten, A. and Fleeker, J. (1993). The effect of synthetic dermal secretion on transfer and dissipation of the insecticide Aldicarb from granular formulation to fabric. Archives of Environmental Contamination 24 513-516. Nelson, C.N., Lefton, J.L. and Scott, D.E. (1992). Clothing use in the lawn care industry. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1133, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. Nelson, C., Kulvich, S., and Sprau, D. Organophosphate exposure in layered textile systems employing radiolabeling and a skin dermal model. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (in press). Newburn, K. and Laughlin, J. (1994). Comparison of after-laundering residues of cypermethrin and cyfluthrin in fabrics: A meta-analytical approach. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 12(4), 37-44. Obendorf, S.K., Love, A.M., and Knox, T. (1994) Use of a crocking test method to measure the transfer of pesticide from contaminated clothing. Clothing and Textile Research Journal, 12(3), 41-45. Obendorf, S.K., Stone, J.F., Derksen, R.C., Ravichandran, V., Coffman, C.W., Koh, Y-K., Sanderson, J.P., and Stahr, H.M. (1996). Clothing contamination resulting from greenhouse spraying of pesticides. Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1237, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. Padgitt, S., Wintersteen, W., and Stone, J. (1995). Agriculture pesticide exposure, safety precautions, and pesticide attributed illnesses among Iowa farmers. In Human Sustainability in Agriculture: Health, Safety, and Environment. CRC Lewis Publishers: New York, 199-203. Perkins, H. M., Crown, E. M., Rigakis, K. B. and Eggertson, B. S. (1992). Attitudes and behavioral intentions of agricultural workers toward disposable protective coveralls. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 11(l), 67-73. Perkins, H.M., Rigakis, K.B., Armour, M.A., Crown, E.M., and Kerr, N. (1995). Effective chlorpyrifos decontamination procedures for clothing, equipment, and spills. In James S. Johnson and S.Z. Mansdorf (Eds.), Performance of Protective Clothing. Fifth Volume, ASTM STP 1237, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials. Perkins, H.M., Rigakis, K.B., and Crown, E.M. (1996). The acceptability of a chlorine bleach pretreatment for removal of chlorpyrifos residues from cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 30(l), 127-131. Raheel, M. (1993). Protective materials: Barrier and comfort properties. Book of Papers, Second International Symposium on Consumer Environmental Issues: Safety, Health, Chemicals and Textiles in the Near Environment, 8-23. Raheel, M. (Ed.). (1994). Protective clothing: An overview. In: Protective Clothing Systems and Materials. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp. 1-26. Raheel, M. (Ed.). (1994). Chemical protective clothing. In: Protective Clothing Systems and Materials. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp. 39-78. Raheel, M. (1993). History, identification, and characterization of old world fibers and dyes. In: Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials, S. Wisseman and W. Wendell (Eds.), Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, Inc., pp. 121-153. Raheel, M., Perenich, J., and Kim, C. (1994). Heat and fire resistant textiles. In: Protective Clothing for Systems and Materials, Raheel, M. (Ed.), New York: Marcel Dekker Inc., pp. 197-224. Raheel, M., Geil, P. H., Dai, G. H., and Hsu, C. (1993). Polymer characterization and performance evaluation of conventional and solvent spun cellulose fibers. Book of Papers, Second International Textile Science Conference, Czech Republic, 6-16. Raheel, M. (Ed.) (1996). Modern Textile Characterization Methods. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 558 pages. Raheel, M. (1996). Developments in textile characterization methods. In Modern Textile Characterization Methods. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp. 1-8. Raheel, M. and Dai, G. X. (1996). Chemical resistance and structural integrity of protective glove materials. J. of Environmental Science and Health (in press). Raheel, M. and Dai, G. X. (1996). Controlling fibrillation in lyocell fabrics by crosslinking treatments. In Book of Papers, VII International Izmir Textile Symposium, Izmir, Turkey, pp. 112-123. Raheel, M. and Perenich, T. Reduction of textile industry wastes. In Industrial and Agricultural Waste Management. L. K. Wang (Ed.), Humana Press Inc.: New Jersey (in press). Rucker, M., McGee, K., Alves, B., Hopkins, M., Sypolt, T., and Watada, M. (1995). Factors influencing consumer initiation of secondhand markets. In Flemming Hansen (Ed.), European Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 2, Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 425-429. Rucker, M. H. (1994). Attitudes and clothing practices of pesticide applicators. In M.Raheel (Ed.) Protective Clothing for Occupational Safety and Health. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. Shaw, A. (1993). Pesticide distribution patterns in two-layer microporus fabrics revealed by scanning electron microcopy. Textile Research Journal, 63(12), 712-716. Shaw, A., Lin, Y., and Pfeil, E. (1996). Effect of abrasion on protective properties of polyester and cotton/polyester blend fabrics. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 56, 935-941. Slocum, Ann C. and Shern, Lois C. Historical Development of the American Lawn Ideal. Michigan Academician (in press). Stone, J., Padgitt, S., Wintersteen, W., Shelley, M., and Chisholm, S. (1994). Iowa greenhouse applicators perceptions and use of personal protective equipment. Environmental Health, 57, 16-22. Stone, J. F., Higby, P., Shelley, M., and Stahr, H. M. (1992). Contamination of cotton denim with terbufos. NOKOBETEF IV, 203-208. Stone, J., Higby, P., and Stahr, H.M. (1992) Pesticide residues in clothing: Case study of clothing worn under protective cotton overalls. Journal of Environmental Health, 55, 10-13. Stone, J. F., Wintersteen, W., and Padgitt, S. (1995). Applicators' experiences with chemically resistant gloves as a means of reducing pesticide exposure. Supplement to Human Sustainability in Agriculture Health, Safety, and Environment, New York: CRC Lewis Publishers, 259-269. Stone, J. (1997). Chapter 3, Personal protective equipment and clothing. Private Pesticide Applicator Study Guide. Iowa State University, Ames, IA (in press). Tremblay-Lutter, J.F., Crown, E.M., and Rigakis, K.B. (1996). Evaluation of functional fit of chemical protective gloves for agricultural workers. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 14(3), 216-224. Welch, L., and Obendorf, S. K. (1997). Limiting dermal exposure of workers to pesticides from contaminated clothing, Performance of Protective Clothing, ASTM STP 1273, Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials, in press. Wintersteen, W., Padgitt, S., and Stone, J. (1995). The impact of pesticide education on Iowa farmers. In Human Sustainability in Agriculture: Health, Safety. and Environment. CRC Lewis Publishers: New York, 409-414. Zhou, K.P., Kerr, N., Armour, M.A., Rigakis, K., and Crown, E. (1996). The loss of pirimicarb residues from contaminated fabrics. -Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 57, 29-33. Abstracts: 9 Presentations: 26 Theses and Dissertations: 11 Extension Publications: 16 Miscellaneous: 2 |