The effect of seams and closures on pesticide penetration through fabrics

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of seams and closures on pesticide penetration through fabrics. Three studies were conducted. The studies all used a multilayer sample which either had a seam or zipper closure implemented into its top test layer. The multilayer sample was then sprayed in a lab in a spray chamber, extracted, and analyzed by a high performance liquid chromatograph. A seam study and a zipper closure study were done with the pesticide Dicofol®. The seam study analyzed four fabrics and five seams, along with a 'no seam ' which represented the base line or control. A Duncan's Multiple Range Test was performed on rankings. The analysis showed no significant differences among the seams due to the limited size of the sample. The zipper study analyzed five different zipper closures with the fabric Tyvek®. The study found through an analysis of variance that the lapped traditional zipper allowed the least amount of Dicofol® to penetrate. Out of sixteen replications only one sample allowed penetration for the lapped traditional zipper. The seam study for the pesticide Terrazole® analyzed the fabrics denim and Tyvek® with three seams, and a 'no seam' which represented the base line or control. The study performed an orthogonal contrast analysis. The analysis found the Tyvek® fabric provided a better barrier to Terrazole® than the denim fabric. The denim fabric with a seam provided a better barrier to Terrazole® than the denim samples with no seam. The Tyvek® fabric with a seam provided a better barrier to Terrazole® than the Tyvek® samples with no seam. Finally the seam that provided the best barrier to Terrazole® was the plain seam.