NC_OLD170: Mediating Exposure to Environmental Hazards Through Textile Systems
Statement of 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 through cooperative 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 NCRAs 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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