| TECHNOLOGY |
Rechargeable antimicrobial cotton textiles were the focus of a presentation by authors, that's advancing technology. Researchers grafted cyclic hydantoin onto cotton, then converted it to a halamine by treating the fabric with chlorine bleach.
The researchers showed that interaction of the halamine with carbamate pesticides breaks the carbamates into harmless fragments and regenerates hydantoin. Thus, agricultural workers wearing halamine-modified clothing could be protected from exposure to pesticides, the researchers reasoned. After use, the clothing can be washed and reactivated with bleach. Authors has now shown that halamine-modified cotton kills a variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses on contact--including Staphylococcus aureus, a leading cause of infections in hospitals, and "nuisance organisms," such as those that produce ammonia from urine. Other biocidal cotton formulations are available, he noted, but the halamine-modified material is much more potent and can be recharged. "We can show a 1 million-times reduction in Salmonella in two minutes," whereas other formulations take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours to bring about more modest reductions, he said. Author envisions many practical applications for halamine-modified fabrics, including odor control. In the health care area, they could be used to manufacture protective clothing and bed linens. Pathogens can be carried on uniforms, sheets, and bedding in health care settings. Indeed, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration "regards clothing of health care workers to be contaminated--it must be laundered in a certain way and treated as if it were a source of viral contamination," he pointed out.
|