In the last three decades, different test methods have been used to assess the level of protection provided by various textile materials against liquid pesticide penetration. Of these, the ISO 6350/EN368 gutter test is currently used to screen garment materials for certification of type 6 personal protective equipment (PPE) in Europe. The atomizer test method developed in Germany is used to evaluate the performance of PPE marketed there. In addition, a pipette method is being proposed as an American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) test method in the United States. This study compares the three test methods and determines the suitability of these methods for screening protective clothing materials against liquid pesticides. Six fabrics selected to represent the woven and nonwoven fabrics used while handling and spraying pesticides are contaminated with dilute pesticide formulations following the three test methods. Repellency, pesticide retention, and penetration characteristics of the test materials are measured. The results indicate that the evaluation of fabric performance is affected by the test method.
Three laboratory standards are used to measure the performance of protective clothing materials against liquid pesticides. These three standards were compared in a previous study to determine the suitability of the test methods to screen protective clothing materials against liquid pesticides. The results of that study, reported in Part I, showed that fabric performance was affected by the test methods used. For this study, the three test methods are modified so they can be used to measure the performance of fabrics based on different exposure conditions. The gutter method is modified to allow increased contact time between the pesticide formulation and the fabric. An additional volume is added to the pipette method to allow the test method to measure the performance of materials under high and low exposure levels. The atomizer method is modified to allow application of higher volumes and/or concentrations of the liquid pesticide. The results are used to determine the level of exposure(s) that the test methods represent while screening materials against liquid pesticides. Based on the results, the gutter method with a low angle of incline and rate of application as well as the pipette method with a higher volume are suitable for measuring performance for high exposure levels. The atomizer method and the pipette method with lower volume are more suitable for lower exposure levels.
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