Effect of the age of garments used under real-life conditions on microfibre release from polyester and cotton clothing.

The release of microfibres from fabrics during laundering represents an important source of plastic and natural microfibres to aquatic environments. Garment age - how long the garment has been used - could be a key factor influencing the rate of release, yet most studies of microfibre shedding have only assessed newly manufactured products. To this end, we quantified microfibre release during laundering in domestic washing machines from polyester (PES) and cotton garments (n = 38) used in real-life conditions for periods between 1 and 31 years with different use intensities. In addition, to better understand the factors involved in microfibre releases, fibre composition (different PES percentages) and type of garments (T-shirts, polo shirts, uniforms, sports shirts, and sweatshirts) were examined. All garments released microfibres during washing, while the older garments presented higher releases for clothing with a PES/cotton blend. In general, older garments (15-31 years) released nearly twice as many fibres when washed than newer garments (1-10 years). The mass of microfibres released was consistently greater in garments with a higher proportion of cotton than PES (up to 1.774 mg g-1 in 2% PES and 0.366 mg g-1 in 100% PES fabrics), suggesting that cotton might be released more readily such that the relative proportion of PES in the garments could increase over time. Additionally, SEM images showed fibre damage, with fibres from the older garments exhibiting more peeling and splitting. While it is important to note that the overall environmental footprint is undoubtedly reduced by keeping garments in use for longer periods of time, older garments were shown to release more microfibres.

Impact of quantification method on microfiber assessment - A comparative analysis between mass and count based methods.

Microfiber from textiles is one of the new anthropogenic pollutants which attracted a wide range of researchers. Domestic laundry, being the most common cause of microfiber release from textiles, is widely studied. Studies exhibit a broad range of quantities of microfibers owing to the distinct quantification methodologies employed due to their convenience and resource availability. Out of several such estimation processes, reporting microfiber quantity in numbers or mass (mg or g) is quite common with respect to the unit area or weight of the textile used. However, results reported by different literature vary significantly. Hence, this study aims to analyze the microfiber release from knitted polyester fabric using count- and mass-based methods. Four different fabrics were used for this study with three different counting processes from literature along with direct weight difference estimation. The results of the direct counting method showed that the average microfiber release of selected fabrics is 13.28-33.16 microfibers per sq.cm, whereas, the direct weight estimation showed an average weight of 0.0664 ± 0.0289 mg/sq.cm. The subsequent conversion showed a release of 887.89 ± 633.49 microfibers/sq.cm of the fabric. Further, the microfiber mass was also estimated using the number of microfiber count and found that a sq.cm of fabric releases up to 0.0010-0.0024 mg of microfibers. While comparing the results, the weight-based estimation showed a significantly higher microfiber release (41.3-42.9 times) than the direct counting method. The deposition of surfactants in detergents, contaminants from the water, atmospheric contaminants, and finishes released from the fabric can be the sources of additional weights noted in the direct mass estimation. As the weight-based method is quite simple and the fastest way to quantify the microfibers, future studies must focus on this area to reduce the error percentage in quantification.

Synthetic microfiber emissions from denim industrial washing processes: An overlooked microplastic source within the manufacturing process of blue jeans.

In recent years, domestic laundry has been recognized as a relevant source of microfiber (MF) pollution to aquatic environments. Nevertheless, the MF emissions from industrial washing processes in real world scenarios have not been quantified. The aim of this study was to quantify the MF emissions from 3 industrial washing processes (rinse wash, acid wash and enzymatic wash) commonly employed in the manufacturing process of blue jeans. The blue jeans were characterized by ATR-FT-IR, SEM and TGA to study the morphology, the polymer chemical identity and the proportion of synthetic and natural fibers, respectively. The MF emissions were quantified as the MF mass and number emitted per washed jean. All the industrial washing processes released a majority of synthetic MF. The enzymatic wash produced the highest amount of MF, with 1423 MF per gram of fabric (MF/g) equivalent to 381.7 MF grams per gram of fabric (MF g/g), followed by the acid wash with 253 MF/g equivalent to 142.7 MF g/g and lastly the rinse wash with 133 MF/g equivalent to 62.3 MF g/g. Statistically significant differences between the MF sizes for all washing processes were found when evaluating the emissions by MF/g, however, the previous trend was not found for MF g/g. Moreover, the total MF emissions of an industrial washing process of a pair of blue jeans during its manufacture process are up to 10.95 times higher than the reported domestic washing estimates performed by the consumer available in the published literature. We demonstrate that studying industrial washing procedures of textile garments will improve the accuracy of the current estimates of MF emissions available in published reports, which will ultimately aid in the development of regulations for MF emissions at an industrial level.

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering.

This protocol provides an example of a laboratory process for conducting laundering studies that generate data on viral disinfection. While the protocol was developed for research during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is intended to be a framework, adaptable to other virus disinfection studies; it demonstrates the steps for preparing the test virus, inoculating the test material, assessing visual and integrity changes to the washed items due to the laundering process, and quantifying the reduction in viral load. Additionally, the protocol outlines the necessary quality control samples for ensuring the experiments are not biased by contamination and measurements/observations that should be recorded to track the material integrity of the personal protective equipment (PPE) items after multiple laundering cycles. The representative results presented with the protocol use the Phi6 bacteriophage inoculated onto cotton scrub, denim, and cotton face-covering materials and indicate that the hot water laundering and drying process achieved over a 3-log (99.9%) reduction in viral load for all samples (a 3-log reduction is the disinfectant performance metric in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Product Performance Test Guideline 810.2200). The reduction in viral load was uniform across different locations on the PPE items. The results of this viral disinfection efficacy testing protocol should help the scientific community explore the effectiveness of home laundering for other types of test viruses and laundering procedures.

International ring trial to validate a new method for testing the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic laundry products.

Due to greater environmental awareness, domestic laundry habits are changing, and antimicrobial control by chemical methods has become an essential factor to compensate for the use of lower temperatures during washing machine cycles. Disinfectants added to laundry detergents are a preventive strategy to reduce the transmission of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the home, correct aesthetic damage (e.g., spotting, discolouration, and staining), and control the microbial contamination that leads to malodour. In Europe, disinfectants are regulated by the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (No. 528/2012), which stipulates that antimicrobial efficacy must be evaluated according to standardized methods. Current European standards for laundry sanitization only apply to clinical settings (EN 16616: 2015) and are restricted to the main wash cycle. Therefore, there is a gap in the EU standards regarding the testing of product efficacy in household laundering. With the aim of addressing this gap, an international ring trial was organized to evaluate the robustness of a new method (prEN 17658) designed to test the efficacy of antimicrobial laundry products in a domestic setting. The seven participating laboratories were equipped with 5 different laboratory-scale devices to simulate the washing process, and they evaluated 7 microbial parameters for 2 experimental conditions and 3 levels of active substance. The analysis of data according to ISO 5725-2 and ISO 13528 demonstrated that the method was robust. All reproducibility standard deviation values were between 0.00 and 1.40 and the relative standard deviation indicates satisfactory reproducibility. Values of logarithmic reduction ranged from less than 2 log10 for tests with water to more than 5 log10 when disinfectants were added. The evidence generated by the ring trial was presented in a proposal for a standardized method under CEN/TC 216, in which the SOP used in the ring trial is referred to as the prEN 17658 phase 2 step 2 test method covering chemothermal textile disinfection in domestic settings.

Acrylic fabrics as a source of microplastics from portable washer and dryer: Impact of washing and drying parameters.

Increasing uses of synthetic textiles are now a concerning issue as these synthetic textiles are shedding microfibers during the laundering of the fabrics and are considered as a potential source of microplastics (size <5 mm). In addition, manmade fibers like polyester, acrylic, and nylon represent 60% of the worldwide consumption of textile fibers. The novelty of this study is to assess the releasing trends of microfibers from acrylic fabrics during washing and drying under different conditions from a portable washer and dryer machine. Washing and drying effluents were filtered out which were further quantified with gravimetric analysis to determine the net weight of the released microfibers. Among different washing parameters, the mean length and diameter of the released microfibers were found to be approximately 2411 ± 1500 µm and 18 ± 4 µm, respectively. The results indicate that the release of microfibers increased by 2 and 1.4 times respectively when washing and drying time increased from 30 min to 60 min due to high mechanical stresses and longer rotational forces on the fabrics. The use of detergent during washing also promoted more microfiber release (162.49 ± 44.21 mg/kg) when compared to without detergent (60.22 ± 13.32 mg/kg). Moreover, microfibers were released approximately 1.8 times higher from washing when washed with 40 °C of water than with 20 °C of water. However, subsequent washing and drying cycles showed decreasing patterns of microfiber release as microfiber released 45% and 67% less during the 7th washing and drying cycle, respectively, compared to the 1st cycle. Results of this study would help to understand the releasing patterns of microfibers which can help to improve the existing systems to reduce the microplastic emissions from laundering.

The perchloroethylene-induced toxicity in dry cleaning workers lymphocytes through induction of oxidative stress.

Evaluation of the compounds and metabolites, and studying their side effects in the workplace is essential. This study was designed to evaluate the exposure of dry  cleaning workers to perchloroethylene (PEC), and its liver and kidney damage, and oxidative stress in B-lymphocytes isolated from the workers. Blood samples were evaluated for liver (alanine transaminase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]) and kidney (BUN and creatinine) markers. For measurement of PEC, exhaled, personal, and ambient air samples were collected and analyzed gas chromatography (GC-FID) through the NIOSH 1003 and 3704 methods. Also, the parameters of oxidative stress including the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in B-lymphocytes were evaluated. The results showed that the levels of liver enzymes ALT and AST in dry cleaning workers are higher than in the control group. The personal exposure levels and exhaled air concentration of PEC in dry cleaning workers were above the recommended national occupational exposure limits (OELs) and the biological exposure index (BEI). The levels of ROS, LPO, and GSSG in B-lymphocytes from the dry cleaning workers are higher than the control group, and the levels of GSH in dry cleaning workers are lower. The results suggested that exposure of dry cleaning workers to PEC could be associated with liver damage and oxidative damage in B-lymphocytes.

Laundry Hygiene and Odor Control: State of the Science.

Laundering of textiles-clothing, linens, and cleaning cloths-functionally removes dirt and bodily fluids, which prevents the transmission of and reexposure to pathogens as well as providing odor control. Thus, proper laundering is key to controlling microbes that cause illness and produce odors. The practice of laundering varies from region to region and is influenced by culture and resources. This review aims to define laundering as a series of steps that influence the exposure of the person processing the laundry to pathogens, with respect to the removal and control of pathogens and odor-causing bacteria, while taking into consideration the types of textiles. Defining laundering in this manner will help better educate the consumer and highlight areas where more research is needed and how to maximize products and resources. The control of microorganisms during laundering involves mechanical (agitation and soaking), chemical (detergent and bleach), and physical (detergent and temperature) processes. Temperature plays the most important role in terms of pathogen control, requiring temperatures exceeding 40°C to 60°C for proper inactivation, while detergents play a role in reducing the microbial load of laundering through the release of microbes attached to fabrics and the inactivation of microbes sensitive to detergents (e.g., enveloped viruses). The use of additives (enzymes) and bleach (chlorine and activated oxygen) becomes essential in washes with temperatures below 20°C, especially for certain enteric viruses and bacteria. A structured approach is needed that identifies all the steps in the laundering process and attempts to identify each step relative to its importance to infection risk and odor production.

Influence of Hydrogen Peroxide on Disinfection and Soil Removal during Low-Temperature Household Laundry.

In the Water, Energy and Waste Directive, the European Commission provides for the use of household washing programmes with lower temperatures (30-40 °C) and lower water consumption. However, low washing temperatures and the absence of oxidising agents in the liquid detergents, and their reduced content in powder detergents, allow biofilm formation in washing machines and the development of an unpleasant odour, while the washed laundry can become a carrier of pathogenic bacteria, posing a risk to human health. The aim of the study was to determine whether the addition of hydrogen peroxide (HP) to liquid detergents in low-temperature household washing allows disinfection of the laundry without affecting the properties of the washed textiles even after several consecutive washes. Fabrics of different colours and of different raw material compositions were repeatedly washed in a household washing machine using a liquid detergent with the addition of 3% stabilised HP solution in the main wash, prewash or rinse. The results of the antimicrobial activity, soil removal activity, colour change and tensile strength confirmed the excellent disinfection activity of the 3% HP, but only if added in the main wash. Its presence did not discolour nor affect the tensile strength of the laundry, thus maintaining its overall appearance.

Development of a silver-based dual-function antimicrobial laundry additive and textile coating for the decontamination of healthcare laundry.

AIMS: To repurpose a silver-based antimicrobial textile coating product (Micro-Fresh 1911) as a dual-function antimicrobial laundry additive and textile coating. METHODS AND RESULTS: Survival of Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus type and clinical isolates in a domestic 40°C wash was assessed with and without soiling and biological detergent. Washing with 2% w/v silver additive (wash phase) reduced E. coli and S. aureus by 7·14-8·08 log10 and no cross-contamination was observed. Under dirty conditions, 0·5% silver additive in the rinse phase of a wash with biological detergent reduced E. coli and S. aureus by 7·98-8·40 log10 (0·00-1·42 log10 cross contamination). BS EN ISO 20645:2004 and BS EN ISO 20743:2013 methods were used to assess the antimicrobial activity of polycotton washed with 2% w/v silver additive against S. aureus and E. coli. The treated polycotton was antimicrobial against E. coli and S. aureus type and clinical isolates and remains active after at least one further wash cycle at 40 or 73°C. CONCLUSIONS: The silver additive exhibits antimicrobial activity in a 40°C domestic wash, preventing cross contamination onto clean textiles and depositing an antimicrobial coating onto polycotton. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The survival of micro-organisms on healthcare uniforms during domestic laundering presents a potential risk of contaminating the home, cross-contamination of other clothing within the wash and transmitting potential pathogens back into healthcare settings via contaminated uniforms. Silver may be useful as an antimicrobial laundry additive to decontaminate healthcare laundry washed at low temperatures in domestic and industrial settings, to therefore reduce the potential risk of transmitting micro-organisms within the domestic and clinical environments.

[Scoping review about the recommendations for home isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic]. / Scoping review sobre las recomendaciones para el aislamiento domiciliario en la pandemia de COVID-19.

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected countries on all continents where containment and isolation measures have been systematically applied. This review aims to synthesize the available evidence on the management of home isolation due to COVID-19 infection. METHOD: A scoping review has been carried out using the Trip Database, PUBMED, CINAHL, COCHRANE and Scopus controlled language without any limits. From all the documents located, information was extracted on the date of publication, country of publication, type of study, assessment of the level of evidence and degree of recommendation, and results of interest to answer the research question. Critical reading of the selected documents has been carried out, but without using it as an exclusion criterion but rather informative. RESULTS: 163 records were located and 14 were selected. The recommendations have been grouped into 10 topics around all the daily management of home care. CONCLUSIONS: The scarcity of robust evidence on isolation from COVID-19 infection is objective. Most of the documents are reviews carried out after the consensus of experts at the international level.

Impact of select PPE design elements and repeated laundering in firefighter protection from smoke exposure.

As the Fire Service becomes more aware of the potential health effects from occupational exposure to hazardous contaminants, personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers, and fire departments have responded by developing and implementing improved means of firefighter protection, including more frequent laundering of PPE after exposures. While laboratory testing of new PPE designs and the effect of laundering on PPE fabric provides a useful way to evaluate these approaches, laboratory scale testing does not necessarily translate to full garment protection. Utilizing a fireground smoke exposure simulator, along with air and/or filter-substrate sampling for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene, this pilot study tested the chemical-protective capabilities of firefighting PPE of different designs (knit hood vs. particulate-blocking hood, turnout jacket with zipper closure vs. hook & dee closure), including the impact of repeatedly exposing and cleaning (through laundering or decontamination on-scene) PPE 40 times. Overall, PAH contamination on filters under hoods in the neck region were higher (median PAHs = 14.7 µg) than samples taken under jackets in the chest region (median PAHs = 7.05 µg). PAH levels measured under particulate-blocking hoods were lower than levels found under knit hoods. Similarly, zippered closures were found to provide a greater reduction in PAHs compared to hook & dee closures. However, neither design element completely eliminated contaminant ingress. Measurements for benzene under turnout jackets were similar to ambient chamber air concentrations, indicating little to no attenuation from the PPE. The effect of laundering or on-scene decontamination on contaminant breakthrough appeared to depend on the type of contaminant. Benzene breakthrough was negatively associated with laundering, while PAH breakthrough was positively associated. More research is needed to identify PPE features that reduce breakthrough, how targeted changes impact exposures, and how fireground exposures relate to biological absorption of contaminants.

Como lavar as roupas usadas em eventuais saídas de casa? [libras]

"COVID - 19: Perguntas e respostas" é resultado de uma parceria entre o Laboratório Aberto de Interatividade para a Disseminação do Conhecimento Científico e Tecnológico (LAbI), o Laboratório de Tradução Audiovisual da Língua de Sinais (LATRAVILIS) e o projeto InformaSUS, todos vinculados à Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar).

Microfiber release from real soiled consumer laundry and the impact of fabric care products and washing conditions.

Fiber release during domestic textile washing is a cause of marine microplastic pollution, but better understanding of the magnitude of the issue and role of fabric care products, appliances and washing cycles is needed. Soiled consumer wash loads from U.K. households were found to release a mean of 114 ± 66.8 ppm (mg microfiber per kg fabric) (n = 79) fibers during typical washing conditions and these were mainly composed of natural fibers. Microfiber release decreased with increasing wash load size and hence decreasing water to fabric ratio, with mean microfiber release from wash loads in the mass range 1.0-3.5 kg (n = 57) found to be 132.4 ± 68.6 ppm, significantly (p = 3.3 x 10-8) higher than the 66.3 ± 27.0 ppm of those in the 3.5-6.0 kg range (n = 22). In further tests with similar soiled consumer wash loads, moving to colder and quicker washing cycles (i.e. 15°C for 30 mins, as opposed to 40°C for 85 mins) significantly reduced microfiber generation by 30% (p = 0.036) and reduced whiteness loss by 42% (p = 0.000) through reduced dye transfer and soil re-deposition, compared to conventional 40°C cycles. In multicycle technical testing, detergent pods were selected for investigation and found to have no impact on microfiber release compared to washing in water alone. Fabric softeners were also found to have no direct impact on microfiber release in testing under both European and North American washing conditions. Extended testing of polyester fleece garments up to a 48-wash cycle history under European conditions found that microfiber release significantly reduced to a consistent low level of 28.7 ± 10.9 ppm from eight through 64 washes. Emerging North American High-Efficiency top-loading washing machines generated significantly lower microfiber release than traditional top-loading machines, likely due to their lower water fill volumes and hence lower water to fabric ratio, with a 69.7% reduction observed for polyester fleece (n = 32, p = 7.9 x 10-6) and 37.4% reduction for polyester T-shirt (n = 32, p = 0.0032). These results conclude that consumers can directly reduce the levels of microfibers generated per wash during domestic textile washing by using colder and quicker wash cycles, washing complete (but not overfilled) loads, and (in North America) converting to High-Efficiency washing machines. Moving to colder and quicker cycles will also indirectly reduce microfiber release by extending the lifetime of clothing, leading to fewer new garments being purchased and hence lower incidence of the high microfiber release occurring during the first few washes of a new item.

Guidelines in Practice: Surgical Attire.

Surgical attire provides a barrier to microorganisms shed from health care workers' skin and hair to help protect patients and promote a clean environment. The AORN "Guideline for surgical attire" includes recommendations for selecting, wearing, and cleaning surgical attire that are based on the highest-quality evidence available. Recommendations are rated as Regulatory Requirement, Recommendation, Conditional Recommendation, or No Recommendation according to the level of evidence, an assessment of the benefits versus harms of implementing specific interventions, and consideration of resources required to implement the interventions. This article discusses guideline recommendations related to laundering surgical attire, wearing long-sleeved attire, and wearing head coverings. A scenario provides an example in which an interdisciplinary facility team uses a gap analysis and a risk assessment to prioritize process changes for implementing the guideline. Perioperative personnel should review the entire guideline for additional information and for guidance when creating and updating policies and procedures.

Microbial Contamination of Medical Staff Clothing During Patient Care Activities: Performance of Decontamination of Domestic Versus Industrial Laundering Procedures.

The efficacy of domestic laundering of healthcare staff clothing is still debated. This study aimed to compare the performance of decontamination of different domestic laundering with that of industrial laundering. Fourteen naturally contaminated white coats of healthcare workers (5 fabric squares from each coat) and fabric squares of artificially contaminated cotton cloth (30 fabric squares per each bacterial strain used) were included. Four domestic laundering procedures were performed; two different washing temperatures (40 °C and 90 °C) and drying (tumble dry and air dry) were used. All fabric squares were ironed. Presence of bacterial bioburden on the fabric squares after domestic and industrial laundering was investigated. None of the naturally contaminated fabric squares resulted completely decontaminated after any of the domestic washes. At 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation, bacterial growth was observed in all the laundered fabric squares. Besides environmental microorganisms, potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e., Acinetobacter lwoffii, Micrococcus luteus, coagulase-negative staphylococci) were isolated. On the artificially contaminated fabric squares, the bioburden was reduced after the domestic laundries; nevertheless, both Gram-negative and -positive pathogenic bacteria were not completely removed. In addition, a contamination of the fabric squares by environmental Gram-negative bacteria was observed. In both the naturally and artificially contaminated fabric squares, no bacterial growth at all the time-points analyzed was observed after industrial laundering, which provided to be more effective in bacterial decontamination than domestic washes. For those areas requiring the highest level of decontamination, the use of specialized industrial laundry services should be preferred.

Capturing microfibers - marketed technologies reduce microfiber emissions from washing machines.

Microfibers are a common type of microplastic. One known source of microfibers to the environment is domestic laundering, which can release thousands of fibers into washing machine effluent with every wash. Here, we adapted existing methods to measure the length, count and weight of microfibers in laundry effluent. We used this method to test the efficacy of two technologies marketed to reduce microfiber emissions: the Cora Ball and Lint LUV-R filter. Both technologies significantly reduced the numbers of microfibers from fleece blankets in washing effluent. The Lint LUV-R captured an average of 87% of microfibers in the wash by count, compared to the Cora Ball which captured 26% by count. The Lint LUV-R also significantly reduced the total weight and average length of fibers in effluent. While further research is needed to understand other sources of microfiber emissions, these available technologies could be adopted to reduce emissions from laundering textiles.

Evaluation of antimicrobial textiles for atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Functional textiles have been proposed as safe adjunct treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD). Some data have been published regarding their antimicrobial properties and their clinical efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the physical and functional properties of 11 commercially available functional textiles, including their antimicrobial activity in vitro, as a function of multiple laundering cycles. METHODS: All materials were weighed and examined under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after laundering for fibre morphology and silver coating. Bioburden of newly purchased textiles was assessed by measuring bacterial colony forming units (CFU). Deliverable antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated in vitro for each specimen, before and after 30, 70, 100, 150 and 200 laundering cycles. RESULTS: Textile weight showed high variability. Damaged silver coating of variable degree was observed under SEM in most materials after laundering. Products made of silk showed smoother and tighter fibre morphology compared to cotton. The bacterial load of unwashed material ranged from <1 CFU to 35 CFU per 50 × 50 mm specimen. Most silver-containing products lost their antimicrobial activity rapidly after laundering. Silk and cotton retrieved products had no deliverable antimicrobial effect even in their original state. CONCLUSION: Elastic, lightweight textiles with smooth fibres are comfortable for daily use. Functional textiles rapidly losing their deliverable antimicrobial activity in vitro are not advisable for AD patients. Recommendations for functional textiles should be based on a combination of in vitro analysis of products in their original state and after laundering, together with real-life data obtained from controlled clinical trials.