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Project Proposal

MULTISTATE PROJECT NUMBER: NUMBER: NC-170

TITLE: Mediating Exposure To Environmental Hazards Through Textile Systems.

DURATION: October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2007

STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES AND JUSTIFICATION

Introduction

A variety of human health problems have been attributed to occupational exposure to hazardous environments, including toxic chemicals, especially pesticides; as well as heat/fire; and the damaging ultra violet rays from the sun. Data for pesticides alone exemplify the extent and nature of the effects that can result from such exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 300,000 farm laborers suffer from pesticide poisonings annually (1). These poisonings can produce both acute and chronic health disorders (2-10). In occupations involving thermal hazards, such as fire fighting and metal smelting, providing protection from external heat sources while allowing for adequate release of body heat remains an ongoing challenge (11-12). In addition, sun exposure accounts for over one million new cases of skin cancer each year in the United States making it the most prevalent form of cancer (13). Despite efforts to find other methods to protect humans from environmental hazards, clothing still remains a key component of most health and safety plans. Thus, in light of new science and technologies, there is cause to re-examine recommendations regarding appropriate clothing to reduce human exposure to the detrimental effects of sunlight, heat/fire and chemicals. Another area of concern is consumer education regarding human health and safety. The proposed project will address the issues that impact human health and safety and lifelong learning as stated in the research priorities of the North Central Regional Association (NCRA). The focus will be on personal protective equipment (PPE) that mitigates the effects of environmental hazards.

Importance and Extent of the Problem:

Thousands of workers, engaged in the application and use of pesticides, are vulnerable to chemical exposure. The 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, 15). Pesticides are also widely used in other industries, such as lawn care and horticulture, and by homeowners. According to the EPA, 75% of U.S. households use pesticides; annual use in 1997 was about 76 million pounds (16). Moreover, approximately 8,000 commercial establishments handle pesticides during their daily operations.

The current NC-170 project (1997-2002) generated scientific knowledge regarding the viability of textile systems for hand and body protection against pesticide chemicals, the effects of use, storage and environmental conditions on product integrity, and the development of a standard method for assessing barrier efficacy of protective materials. The standard method has been approved by the F 23 Committee on Protective Clothing of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and was submitted to the International Standards Association (ISO) for review and adoption as a standard. Furthermore, outreach materials were developed and disseminated through cooperative extension programs and websites to encourage better use and care of protective clothing and equipment by various constituencies. However, much work needs to be done to improve PPE performance in relation to human factor criteria such as comfort, and safety; to develop standard performance specifications for screening PPE for specific applications; and to design better educational programs and strategies to assure acceptance of various types of PPE.

In occupations where workers are exposed to thermal hazards, a major issue is to maximize protection from flames and radiant heat while minimizing metabolic heat stress (11, 12, 17, 18). Another concern is making sure that the PPE is designed to provide acceptable levels of mobility and range of motion (19, 20). Again, the current NC-170 project provided some data on suitable materials and designs for fire fighter protective jackets and pants. However, field tests suggest some additional design improvements are needed. Also, other elements of the total PPE system, beyond the basic jackets and pants, should be assessed in terms of contributions to thermal protection. Furthermore, data on changes in thermal protection with use, care, and storage are lacking.

Impetus for research on UV protective clothing comes from evidence of a steady increase in the incidence of melanoma skin cancer over the past twenty years, at least partially due to lifestyle changes that reflect an emphasis on sunbathing and acquiring a tan. Melanoma is linked particularly to intermittent, high intensity UV exposure during childhood. One or more severe sunburns during youth double the risk of developing melanoma (21). Also, the risk of developing melanoma will increase with further depletion of the ozone layer. Since ozone is an effective UV-absorber in the UV-B region (280-315nm), a subsequent increase in UVB radiation is expected, thus increasing the risks of sunlight exposure in the future (22).

The current NC-170 project (1997-2002) initiated research on development and user evaluation of headwear designed for protection from UV radiation, and the development and dissemination of outreach materials throughcooperative extension programs and websites to encourage behaviors in support of minimizing exposure to UV radiation. However, there is still a need for additional research in this area. Studies done to date have focused on only one or two aspects of UV protective materials and calculated protection in a variety of ways. A systematic study of the effects of fiber properties, yarn and fabric construction, and various types of dyes along with the potential for a symbiotic relationship between these factors and garment design, needs to be undertaken. Also, no work was found that studied the effect of enzyme processing of textiles on their UV protection characteristics. Since enzyme processing of textiles is projected to increase exponentially in the future due to lower energy requirements and the generation of less environmentally hazardous byproducts, the need for research is apparent.

Whatever hazard is being considered, the success of protective clothing is dependent on issues related to garment design. Interactions among anthropometric measures, garment sizing, garment design features, textile properties, garments and equipment, worker acceptance, and cost can affect the performance of protective clothing. Clothing that does not fit well cannot offer protection or safety: clothing that is too tight or binds will affect work performance and may leave areas of the body exposed, clothing that is too loose hampers movement and can catch in equipment. Resolving these complex issues requires prototype development, testing, and redesign in order to find optimum solutions (23-26).

Need for Multi-State Cooperative Work:

This multidisciplinary and multifaceted research program requires intense cooperative efforts among the participating researchers/states because each has unique expertise and associated facilities, as well as similar or complementary expertise. The team has the ability to collect different types of data from their states that can be pooled for comprehensive analyses useful for strong national/international programs. For example, researchers at OK, CA, MI, NY and TX have expertise, facilities and equipment to conduct human factors research. NY has state-of-the-art body scanning equipment to produce fit research for both product development and fit assessment. OK has an Environmental Design Laboratory and equipment in support of conducting controlled environmental thermal comfort studies to obtain subjects' physiological and perceptual responses to wearing prototype clothing under selected environmental conditions, as well as assessing mobility, dexterity and movement. OK is obtaining equipment to measure the thermal and evaporative resistance of textiles. TX has equipment to characterize the hand property of textiles (82-86). CA and MI have expertise and facilities in support of conducting socio-psychological human factors assessments. For example, CA has a behavioral laboratory with a one-way mirror and video equipment for focus group interviews. Other laboratories have the expertise to characterize textile materials for physical, mechanical, chemical (IL, MD, NY), sensory (TX), and sun protective (CO) properties; as well as target hazards such as chemicals (IL, MD, NY), and UV radiation (CO). These parameters are useful for assessing protection, developing test protocols, standardizing test methods, and performance specifications. IA, MI and NY researchers have expertise and facilities to conduct surveys and field studies that will complement the work of NC-170 researchers under different objectives, and synthesize data useful for developing educational materials and extension training programs. All participating states will develop and disseminate research and/or educational information to various audiences through multiple media.

The diverse types of expertise that will be brought to bear on issues outlined in this proposal result from the different specialties of Technical Committee members. Although all are from textiles and clothing programs, the group is interdisciplinary in that it includes social scientists, physical scientists and engineers, and designers. In addition, committee members plan to draw heavily on advice of faculty members from other disciplines at their respective institutions. Those faculty who are expected to have the greatest input are listed in Appendix E as "Other Collaborators." For example, Charles Schwab (IA), Andrew Landers (NY), and Michael Helms (NY) will contribute their expertise on engineering controls for pesticide applications to the Objective 2 study of applicators' understanding of the relation between engineering controls and PPE. Larry Olsen (MI) will provide advice on selection of pesticides for the pesticide protection studies described under Objective 1. Bob Krieger (CA) will be responsible for the evaluation of pesticide monitoring tools, including biomonitoring, that are integral to the CA field study included in Objective 1.

Relationship to Current Priorities:

The proposed research will address the NCRA's research priorities related to human health, safety, and well being under Integrated Pest Management (IPM); and Natural Resources and The Environment. Furthermore, it will contribute strategies/ technologies for lifelong learning of individuals/consumers and also identifying factors related to demand and barriers to demand for products improving human well being under the Social Change and Development priority.

Benefits to the Solution:

The proposed project will focus on improving the protection and performance of PPE through product development efforts with emphases on human factors such as comfort, fit, and ease of donning and doffing, and expansion to new protective clothing applications. Also, best strategies for product and practice adoption will be developed including information delivery systems that influence the adoption of safe PPE practices. Furthermore, the current work on standard test methods will be expanded to develop performance specifications (which are based on standard methods) for protective clothing that can be used to classify materials. Lack of standard test methods and performance specifications limits ability to compare results across research projects and to provide the best advice, based on solid scientific evidence, to people selecting PPE. These performance specifications can be used by crop protection companies and manufacturers of PPE for pesticide applicators. Furthermore, these specifications may be used as a basis for PPE recommendations included on the pesticide labels. Thus, the objectives proposed herein are expected to benefit agricultural and other workers as well as the general public exposed to environmental hazards, by considering factors such as thermal protection and heat stress, as well as chemical and UV protection. The potential for benefits to stakeholders such as pesticide applicators and fire fighters as well as general consumers is suggested by the number of times participants in the current project have been contacted to provide information about PPE.

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RELATED CURRENT AND PREVIOUS WORK

Regional Project NC-170, Occupational Safety and Health Through the Use of Protective Clothing (October 1, 1997, through September 30, 2002) focused on the following four objectives:

  1. Assessing the viability of various textile systems for hand and body protection for selected occupations.
  2. Evaluation of the effects of environmental exposure, use and storage conditions on the functional integrity of PPE for selected occupational settings.
  3. Assessing policies, regulations and practices for environmentally sound disposal of PPE.
  4. Proposing standard methodology for industry-wide consensus standards for chemical protective clothing.

The proposed research will expand upon the work on protection from dermal exposure to hazards by focusing on sun protection while continuing research on chemical protection and thermal protection. Furthermore, two major objectives of the proposed project will emphasize the human factors aspects of PPE development and adoption, as well as successful dissemination of educational materials via different media. A significant part of the current project has been work on development of a standard method for assessing the efficacy of materials in protecting against hazardous chemicals. Methodology developed by the NC-170 researchers has been approved by the F23- Protective Clothing Main Committee of ASTM, and subsequently submitted to ISO for review, ballot, and approval. The next logical step is to develop much needed standard performance specifications for screening of PPE based on standard methods.

Past NC-170 projects have investigated the design, barrier properties, structural integrity, thermal comfort, and wearer perceptions of PPE. Data were generated by NC-170 researchers on the fundamental mechanisms of PPE material/product contamination, with particular emphasis on liquid chemical penetration (27, 28). Also, chemical interaction studies were done on PPE materials to assess chemical degradation that influences physical, mechanical, and barrier properties of PPE materials and products (29, 30). 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 (31-37). Other factors that influence barrier efficacy are textile chemistry, surface energy, and porosity of the substrate (38-40); the chemical nature, molecular size, solubility parameter, multicomponent chemicals and different formulations of the chemical/pesticide (41); and chemical interaction/degradation of the substrate that influences barrier characteristics of PPE (42-46). Other areas of concern include the effects of abrasion that may occur in refurbishing practices (47), and the effects of exposure to UV (48) on the protective efficacy of PPE as well as the effects of soil or perspiration on transmission of chemicals through PPE (49-51). In addition, the relationship between the deposition patterns of pesticide residues on applicator clothing and the type of application equipment used in greenhouses (52), orchards (53) and vineyards (54) has been studied. Transfer of pesticides from contaminated PPE to human skin or other clothing due to contact (55), or to other family clothing due to refurbishing practices (56, 57) also has been studied. As for decontamination of PPE, there is an expanse of literature created by NC-170 researchers and others (58-67).

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) mandates the protection of health and safety of farmers and farm workers who have a potential of being exposed to pesticides. A ³Guidance Manual for Selecting Protective Clothing for Agricultural Pesticide Operations² was developed by EPA to provide technical information to the Office of Pesticides Programs (OPP) at the US Environmental Protection Agency (68). It was also designed to serve as a PPE guide for pesticide manufacturers as well as personnel responsible for advising and training agricultural pesticide users (including Cooperative Extension Service personnel). As stated in the manual, there has been a need for a standardized test method to measure the penetration of pesticides through PPE materials. As already mentioned, methodology was developed by NC-170 researchers and submitted to national and international standards associations. The process involved conducting studies to compare the test methods used in Europe and the US to measure the performance of PPE materials against liquid pesticides (69-71). An extensive inter-laboratory study is now underway to determine the precision and bias of the method. The proposed project will continue to expand on objective 4 of the previous project, i.e., the one concerned with methodology development. Also, the new project will extend the work on viability of textile systems by developing performance specifications for full body chemical protective clothing. These performance specifications will have the potential of providing a basis for the PPE recommendations included on pesticide labels.

Work will also continue on hand protection. The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) requires the use of unlined gloves for tasks involving pesticides (72). Pesticide handlers resist wearing unlined gloves because of increased dermatitis, difficulty in donning and doffing gloves, and thermal discomfort (73-74). To encourage the use of gloves and to alleviate wearer discomfort, EPA proposes to allow use of separable, disposable glove liners made of absorbent materials (75-76). A better understanding of wearer acceptance and use of glove liners is needed to support changes in pesticide labeling and WPS requirements. Findings from the proposed project will also inform research-based educational programs that communicate these changes to the public.

Closed system transfer and other engineering controls have been shown to decrease worker exposure to pesticides (77-78). Clothing made of barrier and non-barrier textiles also reduces exposure (79). Knaak et al. (80) and Cowell et al. (81) concluded that operators using the correct PPE and a well designed closed transfer system experience negligible exposure to pesticides. Although pesticide labels require different PPE for different handling tasks and for different types of engineering controls, applicators are often confused about the role, interaction, and tradeoffs of these two protective strategies. The proposed research will investigate the relationship between these two strategies in order to improve safety recommendations.

The Internet is a growing source of information with as many as 25 million adult Internet users in the US (82) and 130 million worldwide (83). Despite a growth in PPE commercial sites, few sites focus on PPE research and education. Access to this unbiased research-based information is extremely important for users in isolated rural areas in the US and internationally. The USDA NC-170 Regional Research website was established in 1998 to fill this need. Updating the information on this site will be a priority under the new project.

NC-170 researchers (CA and OK) conducted physiological trials using human subjects wearing structural (OK) and wildland (CA) fire fighter gear to discover subjects' thermal responses associated with the prototype wildland gear, the custom, lightweight gear designed for structural firefighting, and existing wildland and structural firefighting gear. Both studies showed the merit of the new ensembles. CA also ascertained the fire protective properties of the prototype wildland ensemble. CA, together with the collaborator in Canada, will continue work on the protective capacity of fire fighter PPE in terms of additions and accessories to the basic protective jacket and pant.

Past NC-170 research focused on two approaches to limiting dermal exposure to UV radiation, that is, through product development (IA and OK) and through educational strategies to inform farm populations (IA) and youth (MI) about the hazards of UV exposure. IA evaluated farm show participants' perceptions of commercially available hats for sun protection (84). Another IA field study evaluated headgear for both sun and pesticide protection (85), but neither of these studies identified hats that met all desirable criteria. Subsequently, OK and IA developed and evaluated prototype headgear to limit UV exposure with additional features for enhanced fit, cooling of the head, and easy storage. They evaluated these prototypes using OSU maintenance personnel and ISU Extension staff. OK also evaluated the OK prototypes using a sample of OK lifeguards.

CRIS Searches:

CRIS searches revealed two active regional projects, in addition to the current NC-170, that consider textiles in relation to human physiological responses. These are W-194 (Community

Economic Development by Merchandising, Producing, and Distributing Textiles and Sewn

Products) and S-272 (Development of Textile Materials for Environmental Compatibility and Human Health and Safety). Another project related to textiles and human health, W-175 (Human Physiological and Perceptual Response to Textile-Skin Interface) is no longer active.

In the W-194 project, the issue of human physiological responses to textiles and sewn products has received only slight attention; it is mentioned as one of a number of considerations in one researcher's report. The focus of the overall project is on innovative production and merchandising of textiles and textile products to further community economic development.

The S-272 project emphasized the development of innovative textiles and related materials, especially those from agricultural fibers and by-products, and how they would function as materials for human health and safety products. The successor to this project, New Technologies for the Utilization of Textile Materials, will continue to focus on the development of value-added products from agricultural fibers and by-products for a variety of end uses including consumer products as well as medical/protective materials. The proposed NC-170 project deals exclusively with personal protective equipment, especially clothing to protect against hazardous chemicals, thermal hazards and UV radiation; it builds on a history of research in these areas. It does not cover protective clothing for health care workers and their patients, as S-272 intends to do; no research in the area of medical applications is being proposed by contributors to the new NC-170 project. While both projects have a section on UV protection, NC-170 has had more of a product design and consumer acceptance focus. Furthermore, the UV research in NC-170 will be part of a holistic approach to PPE development, i.e., investigation of chemical, thermal, and UV protective properties of textile systems.

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OBJECTIVES

The research proposed in this project focuses on three main objectives:

  1. To improve protection and human factor performance of PPE through product development.
  2. To examine acceptance and barriers to acceptance of PPE products and practices.
  3. To develop performance specifications for protective clothing materials.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Objective 1: To improve protection and human factor performance of PPE through product development.

Participating states: CA, CO, IA, MI, NE, NY, OK, TX

Product Development Studies

Developing new materials, new finishes for materials, and prototype garments will constitute the work to be accomplished in the product development studies. TX and CO will cooperate on developing nonwoven materials for UV radiation protection. TX has acquired a ³state-of-the-art² HI technology needleloom which will be used to develop nonwoven substrates from fibers varying in type and linear density. TX will be the first and only facility in the US to house the modern needleloom. HI technology webs have been found to have higher strengths and web cohesiveness compared to conventional needle webs. These webs might offer more penetration resistance to UV radiation. The webs will be tested for their ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) by CO. CO will investigate use of advanced chemical finishing techniques to enhance materials' UPF or UV protection characteristics. (UPF indicates how many times longer a person can be in the sun wearing a fabric, compared to not wearing the fabric, before the onset of skin reddening.) The chemical finishing techniques include treatment with fluorescent whitening agents and application of UV absorbers and other additives. UV absorbers possess chemical groups that effectively absorb radiation in the UV region, enabling them to maximize the absorption of UV radiation on textiles. The efficacy of UV absorbers with different functional groups will be studied and their mode of application on fabrics and garments defined. NE will explore mechanical finishing technologies for fabrics, such as sanding and compacting, as methods of modifying the surface structure of non-woven fabrics. Such modifications may decrease the penetration of UV radiation through protective clothing. CO will also investigate the use of environmentally friendly enzymes in finishing and their effect on UV protection. The new non-woven substrates developed by TX will be considered as potential candidates for CO's enzymatic treatments. Enzyme processing of textiles necessarily results in changes in tactile properties such as hand, which will be investigated by TX (see Human Factor Studies below).

NY will develop prototype garments in a 3-step process. Step 1 will include development of an activities matrix to identify typical activities performed by users from selected occupations. Step 2, the design research stage, will be accomplished with researchers from several states participating in a video conference to generate design ideas to accommodate the activities identified in step 1, with NY developing patterns for the resultant designs. A fit test will be conducted for step 3 as outlined under Human Factor Studies. The garments barrier properties will be assessed through testing conducted by IA and CA (see Protection Studies below). User acceptance of the garments will be evaluated by different states under objective 2 and the results of both evaluation studies will be used to redesign as necessary.

Protection Studies

Protection studies are planned for three hazard categories, UV radiation, chemical and fire/flame. CO will measure UPF values of the fabrics in the MD database, as well as the UPF values of materials being promoted for sun protection. The UPF values will be measured using a Labsphere UV-100F Ultraviolet Transmission Analyzer. The instrument software calculates the average value for the UVB (280-315nm) and UVA (315-400 nm) spectral regions and converts the data to give a UPF rating for the fabric's ultraviolet blocking ability. An advantage of this instrument is that it is not affected by fluorescence in assessing the UV protection offered by optical brightening agent (OBA) treated fabrics, and it can quantify the OBA concentration in fabrics.

Two different approaches will be used to assess UV exposure of human subjects. MI and OK will conduct a field experiment using personal dosimetry to quantify UV exposure using spectrophotometric techniques. Participants will be extension personnel or campus pesticide applicators. Dosimeters made of polysulfone film will be used to measure the effectiveness of various clothing systems. Specifically, when dosimeters are placed on body sites under clothing, such as on the head and neck, the effectiveness of garment design features, such as hat brims and collar designs, can be determined. Dosimeters will also be used to compare the effectiveness of garments made from specialized fabrics, purported to have enhanced UV protection, with one and two layers of cotton work clothing. MI and NY will measure the sun protective qualities of headgear using images from the 3D body scanning equipment at NY to assess UV exposure. Commercially available hats, visors, and shirt collars will be worn by subjects of various head sizes, head carriage, and neck angles. Scans will be made of each subject in each headgear treatment and the scans will be analyzed for coverage of the face, ears and neck for various angles of the sun. The information will be used in two ways: 1.) to generate design ideas for prototype headgear (see Product Development Studies), and 2. to develop extension publications and/or web-site information for educating consumers.

CA and IA will incorporate two field methods to assess the chemical protection characteristics of the prototype garments developed by NY (see Product Development Studies), while simultaneously assessing users' perceptions of the acceptability of the prototypes, as given under objective 2. IA will conduct a deposition study. CA will use biomonitoring to obtain estimates of the average amount of pesticide absorbed through the skin. CA will also conduct two studies to assess the thermal protection characteristics of wildland fire fighter clothing. One study will focus on the thermal hazards associated with oil-based versus water-based silk-screened emblems. This study will utilize University of Alberta's thermal mannequin to assess extent of burn injuries under the two different emblem conditions. The second study will examine the effects of UV radiation on the radiant protective performance (RPP) of the Nomex® used for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) PPE. Swatches will be exposed to a xenon arc light in a Weather-Ometer for periods of 20, 40, 60 and 80 hours and then compared with a control swatch to ascertain any changes in RPP values.

Human Factor Studies

Human factor studies will be conducted in the areas of fit, hand and thermal comfort. Fit testing of the prototype protective garments will be done at NY using participants of different sizes. The participants will be scanned in the anthropometric position and in various active positions with and without the prototype garments. Both scans will be superimposed in the same file for analysis. Areas of poor fit will be identified and the design will be modified accordingly. The characterization of fabric hand is an important human factor consideration in judging the performance characteristics of a wide variety of fabrics. A new method and instrument to characterize fabric hand were developed by TX, and detail on both the method and apparatus are given under objective 3. TX will evaluate the hand properties of the fabrics in the MD fabric database by using the new hand method and apparatus. Thus, the MD fabric database will be expanded. Similarly, OK will expand the database by assessing the thermal resistance of the same set of fabrics using a sweating guarded hot plate per ASTM F 1868. NE will conduct tests of liquid transport in multilayer fabric systems using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology (86).

Objective 2: To examine user acceptance and barriers to acceptance of PPE products and practices.

Participating states: CA, IA, OK, NY, MI.

Pesticide applicators' responses to wearing lined vs. unlined gloves

This study will measure the contamination levels in cotton glove liners worn under chemically-resistant gloves during pesticide handling/application. It will also assess worker comfort and satisfaction with cotton glove liners. Indoor occupational pesticide handlers who work year round in NY and IA will be recruited to wear cotton liners beneath nitrile gloves. The applicators will wear the glove ensemble for 8 hours on five separate days. Wearers will record date, time, pesticides used, application method, spray environment, and any problems encountered. Gloves and liners will be analyzed by gas chromatography for pesticide residues. Wearer attitudes and perceptions in regard to comfort and acceptability will be assessed with a written instrument adapted from an earlier study on glove liners by Branson et al, (44) and through follow-up focus groups.

Pesticide handlers' understanding of how PPE requirements change with engineering devices for application

Data on the perceptions of pesticide applicators regarding the relationship between PPE and engineering controls will be collected using a survey instrument developed with input from growers, pesticide handlers, educators, and researchers. The instrument will be tested in a pilot study in NY as follows:

  1. questionnaires will be mailed to members of the New York State Vegetable Grower Association,
  2. face-to-face interviews will be conducted with attendees at the Empire Farm Days, a three-day farm management and equipment show that attracts 75,000 annually, and
  3. telephone interviews will be completed by the Computer-Assisted Survey Team, Cornell University, with volunteers recruited from pesticide applicator sessions.

The revised instrument will be administered to certified pesticide applicators in NY, IA, and MI. Data from the applicator surveys will be used to design an educational program about the integration of engineering controls and PPE. This program should prepare users to make sensible safety decisions that address their specific needs.

Prototype garment acceptability

Field testing of the protective garments designed in Objective 1 will be carried out at several sites. Two sets of garments will be tested in a two stage process. In stage one, basic measurements will be taken of each participant and participants will be given size selection information for the two different designs. Each subject will choose and don a protective garment from each set and a visual record will be made for subsequent fit rating. These images will be made with the subjects in an anthropometric position and in a series of active positions. In stage two, each subject will wear each garment for three hours in the field. The subjects will complete questionnaires to rate ease of donning, fit, comfort, general acceptability, and any problems encountered in the field. Data from the various sites and the two garment styles will be compared to determine whether the new styles provide improvement in fit, comfort, general function, and size selection methods. Recommendations for further design changes will be made based on these data.

OBJECTIVE 3. To develop performance specifications for protective clothing materials.

Participating states: IL, MD, and NY

Performance Specifications for Protective Clothing Materials:

The research team will work closely with the ASTM Committee F-23 on Protective Clothing to develop Performance Specifications for Protective Clothing Materials for Pesticide Applicators. MD will coordinate the work with ASTM. In the first two years, researchers at IL, MD and NY will identify the most significant factors that determine barrier efficacy of PPE materials based on laboratory physical and chemical testing and analyses.

Meetings will be held with individuals from the pesticide industry, protective apparel industry, and federal groups responsible for the worker protection standards. Information obtained will be used to draft the performance specifications that will be shared with the stakeholders. In year 3, the draft will be revised and field studies will be conducted to validate the lab test results and performance specifications. Researchers will propose these performance specifications to European counterparts and ISO for global acceptance. In year four, the performance specifications will be submitted to ASTM for approval. Information will be disseminated to the users in year five.

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MEASUREMENT OF PROGRESS AND RESULTS

Outputs

  1. New materials, new finishes, new layering systems, and garments for protection from pesticides
  2. New surface treatments and new layering systems for minimizing thermal hazard impact.
  3. New materials, new finishes, and new layering systems for protection from UV radiation protection.
  4. Recommendations for changes in pesticide labels to clarify PPE choices.
  5. Empirical evidence on wearer acceptance and use of glove liners.
  6. Standard Performance Specifications for PPE for pesticide applicators.
  7. Posting of information obtained from the proposed research and educational experiences on the USDA Regional Research Project NC-170 website <http://txnc170.human.cornell.edu/>

Projected Impacts

  1. The new options for pesticide PPE will reduce chemical-related illnesses and deaths.
  2. The new surface treatments and layering systems for thermal protection, by reducing the thermal hazards in fire fighting and related occupations will lead to healthier employees and more efficient work teams.
  3. Reducing exposure to UV radiation will cause a decline in melanoma skin cancer.
  4. More detailed pesticide labels will increase the probability of selecting the most appropriate PPE.
  5. Information on wearer acceptance and use of glove liners is needed to assess changes in pesticide labeling and Worker Protection Standard (WPS) requirements. Applicators will be more likely to wear chemical resistant gloves if the liners increase comfort. Findings will also inform research-based educational programs that communicate these changes to the public.
  6. The Standard Performance Specifications for PPE for pesticide applicators will increase the ability to choose the best PPE for a particular application situation. Research-based educational materials will help growers, handlers, workers and their families mitigate pesticide exposure by clarifying PPE regulations and encouraging PPE use.
  7. The website developed by this project team will provide access to unbiased research-based information for both researchers and consumers. Easy access is especially important to PPE users in isolated areas who do not have ready access to other sources of information.

Milestones

Time line-linked accomplishments are outlined in the time line at the end of this proposal.

Potential for Leveraged Funding:

The group as a whole will apply for funding for training materials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A source of funding to support research for the group as a whole is the Oklahoma City National Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. This institute is interested in supporting research on PPE for emergency response personnel who must be prepared to encounter a variety of environmental hazards.

In addition to group efforts, individual states and groups of states will seek funding to expand work on the new regional research project. NY will seek further funding for sizing and fit studies using the 3D body scanner through proposals to the National Textile Center (NTC). Currently body scanning methodologies are being developed under a one year NTC grant. CA has just joined the NTC and therefore will cooperate with NY in writing proposals for funding from this source. NY will also utilize funds from a USDA Farm Safety grant to test the survey instrument for the PPE/engineering controls study and will seek additional funding from USEPA to implement the multistate survey. CA will continue to submit proposals to the California Department of Forestry and Fire protection for additional funding to support the thermal PPE research. OK will build on a funded project to develop prototype cooling devices/garments for use with PPE through thermal comfort analyses and other human factor evaluation studies of the prototypes.

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PROJECTED PARTICIPATION

See Appendix E, Tables 1, 2, and 3.

OUTREACH PLANS

The results of this multistate research project will be made available through presentations at national/international meetings, refereed and non-refereed publications, special technical publications, and annual reports that are published on the project's website. The results will also be made available through educational materials developed by the researchers and posted on websites as well as extension training programs. In addition, the results will be used to update the USDA Regional Research Project NC-170 website http://txnc170.human.cornell.edu/. NY has agreed to maintain the NC-170 website. Committee members from all participating states will contribute materials. In addition, research information will be disseminated through individual interactions with PPE manufacturers, crop protection companies, and standards organizations such as ASTM and ISO.

ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE

The proposed members of the technical committee for this project are listed in Tables 1 and 2. For those states having more than one participant, one member will be designated as the voting member, as determined by that institution or AES director. 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. The officers along with the project USDA-CSREES representative, and USDA-ARS administrative advisor (Table 3) will serve as the executive committee. The advisors will be non-voting members.

The chair is responsible for notifying the members of the date and place of the annual meeting, preparing an agenda, and presiding over the annual meeting. The chair also will be responsible for writing the annual report (SAES Form 422 ) for the year he/she is elected as chair and filing it with the administrative advisor for distribution, within 60 days of the annual meeting of the technical committee. The secretary will be responsible for taking minutes of the annual meeting and filing it with the administrative advisor for distribution within 30 days of the meeting.

The duties of the technical committee (members in Tables 1) are to coordinate the research and other activities related to the project. The technical committee will meet annually (usually in the fall) for the purposes of coordinating, reporting, and sharing research activities, procedures, and results, analyzing data, and conducting project business. The administrative advisor will be responsible for sending the technical committee members the necessary authorization for all official meetings.

Subcommittees and meetings may be designated by the chair, if needed, to accomplish various relevant research and administrative tasks, such as research planning and coordination, the development of specific cooperative research procedures, assimilation and analysis of data from contributing scientists, and publication of joint reports.

SIGNATURES

Multistate Project Title: Mediating Exposure To Environmental Hazards Through Textile Systems.

Approved:

___________________________________________ ______________________________

Dr. Mary Winter Date

ISU AES, Ames, IA

___________________________________________ ______________________________

Chairman, North Central Association of Directors Date

___________________________________________ ______________________________

Chairman, Committee of Nine Date

___________________________________________ ______________________________

Administrator, CSREES Date


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see the old proposal

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