Thermal Response Associated with Prototype Pesticide Protective Clothing

Abstract

In an effort to develop protective clothing that offered improved heat dissipation characteristics to pesticide applicators, the thermal responses were collected from 54 male subjects wearing two prototypes and a typical clothing ensemble. The performance of three designs and three fabrics with known chemical protective characteristics was determined in a controlled laboratory, simulating a hot environment. Analysis of physiological and perceptual data revealed that one protective fabric offered a similar thermal comfort level as chambray, a fabric growers often wear for pesticide application, which is an ineffective barrier to pesticide penetration.