Characterization of Airborne Permethrin During the Manufacture of Army Combat Uniforms Using Pre-Treated Fabric
Abstract
This report describes the efforts by the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to characterize the airborne concentration of permethrin within cut and sew facilities when manufacturing military uniforms from permethrin-treated fabric in order to determine if there is an inhalation exposure risk to garment workers. Pre-treating fabric with permethrin is a viable option to reduce lead time and the risk of failing lots of uniforms and will eliminate the need to destroy finished garments for testing. However, the inhalation risk of manufacturing uniforms from pre-treated fabrics was not fully known. The work was funded by the Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program and was performed during the period August 2013 to March 2015. The work was accomplished by conducting air sampling at three cut and sew facilities during manufacture of uniforms with permethrin-treated fabric. Based on the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for a similar treatment, pyrethrum, in absence of a PEL for permethrin, data collected during this study indicate airborne exposure to permethrin was below levels of concern.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1016683
Entities
People
- Lyndsy Meyer
- Melynda Perry
- Theodore Juarez
Organizations
- United States Army Soldier Systems Center