Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

See attached copy of minutes file for the compiled 2014 NC170 report. Minutes of NC-170 Research Committee Meeting Cornell University, July 31 – Aug 1, 2014 9:05 Introductions. In attendance were Charlotte Coffman (NY-Cornell), Juyeon Park (CO-CSU), Gang Sun (CA-UCD), Susan Ashdown (NY-Cornell), Huiju Park (NY-Cornell), Shu-Hwa Lin (HI-UHM), Lucy Dunne (MN-UMN), Marilyn DeLong (MN-UMN), Lynn Boorady(NY-SUNYBuff), and Anugrah Shaw (MD-UME). Guests: Jane Ledbury from Manchester Metropolitan University), Cornell PhD student Kristen Morris (9:35) Acceptance of agenda Susan Ashdown 1st, Huiju seconded and all in favor 9:10 Marilyn Delong PPT – Report from government on Multistate research groups and priorities. • Science Roadmap for food and agriculture • We fit most closely with point 6 heightening environmental stewardship • USDA-REE slide on who is who. • National priorities – Nutrition and childhood obesity • Multistate programs should be going deeper into our research but have a variety of people from outreach and research. • 2014 Farm bill – matching requirement has changed, goes into effect in October 2014 (exempts land grants) • All federal program in 2013 lost 7.62%; 2014 funding restored to 2012 levels • Budget battles for 2015 and beyond: Hatch looks like it will stay funded at the same level o About 350 multistate projects active o Research Excellence award still active ? Evaluation criteria was shown and discussed • Impact reporting – all groups required to complete report and include impact reporting o Professional was hired to write impact statements to make them more attractive and informative o Shows the importance of the work being done to consumers and government officials o Need to focus on better research reporting • See PPT for more specifics. Discussion: New template for reporting; now includes funding obtained, creative works, inclusion of websites. Election of Officers: • Huiju is current Vice-Chair and will be the Chair next year. • Vice Chair will organize next year’s meeting – Lucy Dunne (discussion on holding the meeting in Minnesota) • Secretary – Lynn Boorady • August 6 and 7,2015 were chosen as next years dates. Website discussion – Anugrah Shaw. Needs information on new members. Who is using the website, how is it being used. • Website important as it shows part of how we do outreach • Ashdown uses the website, Coffman and Ashdown appreciate the history of the committee archived in one place. • New members need to show their interest in being on our committee by sending in their information and updates. • When annual reports submit what is required by USDA but also all updates to website • Create a template for updates to website. CA REPORT – Gang Sun • Three members at University of CA-Davis. Peg Rucker officially retired but still active. • Discussion on research and impacts of farm workers (pesticide protection and heat stress), altering of textile properties (colorimetrics), medical and military textiles. • Discussion on funding and results CO REPORT – Juyeon Park • New member at this time but may have a second member in the future. • Report on medical research; new equipment purchased which is now installed, up and running. • Research findings on foot landmarks strongly correlated with BMI. • Provisional patent applied for hospital gown design. HI REPORT – Shu-Hwa Lin • Report on research on firefighter turnout gear in collaboration with NY, CO, Buff as well as glove performance and sizing separately. Also working on simulation of fabric drapes and health issues using Kinect. • Research on textile dyes in collaboration with Chinese Culture University. • Purchased new equipment on color calibration. MN REPORT – Lucy Dunne • Report on stitched stretch and bend sensor projects, hospital gowns, NASA projects. • Received funding, published articles. BUFF REPORT – Lynn Boorady • Report on FF working with NY, HI and CO. • Reach out to firefighter in the areas surrounding the City of Buffalo. Mostly volunteer stations. • Was hoping to purchase head scanner but funding has not been secured. At recent ASTM/WEAR symposium it was noted that they have a database with head scans available for members. NY REPORT – Susan Ashdown • Jintu, Huiju Park, Huan Hinestrona, Kay Obendorf, Charlotte Coffman and Susan Ashdown’s work was discussed. • Huiju discussed online firefighter survey and results. Also, worked with firefighter boots and the flexing resistance resulting in impaired gait and body balance. Females have more problems with this issue. Four papers published. • Susan discussed work with chemical protection overalls and sizing. Also fit tests with firefighter gloves. • Susan also informed us that Kay is still working on textile performance, Huan is working on rare earth metals research, and Jintu is conducting studies on thermal properties of fabric specifically for chemical protection garments. • Charlotte contributed data for a four state survey on gloves with MD. Working with the Stat of NY on pesticide applicator training concentrating on gloves and reading instructions. Resurrected website explaining pesticide labels for consumers. MD REPORT – Anugrah Shaw (via phone) • Worked on gloves with Cornell; results have been published. • Research on coveralls for apple picking industry. Also worked on pesticide permeation on pesticide gloves and was the project leader for International Standards Organization on Protective Clothing for Pesticide Operators. Suggested standards have been approved. Break for lunch Jane Ledbury introduction: Use of body scanner with Speedo, going to every swim meet and scanning all participants. Have been invited to US and Australia. • Just finished scanning over 1000 females and the same number of males for Asos Company offer free delivery and free returns and returns are extremely high. Will be working with Alvanon to better sizing for company in order to reduce the return rate. They are the largest online retailer in UK. • Last year did a “size Nottingham” survey with Speedo. • Graduate students focus on performance and function. Partnered with VCU for the 2022 world cup Fifa/Qatar is funding to look at migrant workers who are dying in large numbers due to heat stress. MMU also worked on Qatari police uniforms. University ethics committee is concerned due to bad press (Qatar has poor human rights record). Left it to the students to determine whether it was ethical to work with Qatar and they felt it would be unethical NOT to help improve conditions. Set back due to no body scanner in Qatar. However prototypes are being developed based on student research. • Military clothing systems – MMU is scanning female pilots now. • Also looking at female body armor for policewoman. Discussion on whether the group should apply for the Research Excellence award. It was decided not at this time. Wildland firefighting group is moving slowly but still active. Discussion on collaborations. Firefighters seem to be the most common denominator among the group. How about looking at FF pants? Look at the fit over underwear, station trousers. Looked at range of motion during lifting and climbing ladder. (CO) Issue of getting participant stipend to encourage them to come to campus. $30 seems to be a going rate for 2 hours of time. Boot study with Globe – using athletic wear technology in FF boots. Huiju has 25 of the new boots and one cut in half. Needs time to work on the study. Glued together (not stitched) so more flexible. Same level of protection as traditional leather boots. Compare new and traditional boots for gait. Perhaps develop protocol and have undergraduates conduct research. Discussion on subject size and whether they actually need to be firefighters. Keep the size/weight range within boundaries, do not need to be firefighters. CO, NY and BUFF may collaborate. NY, MD and CA working on gloves. Develop survey focusing on thickness of glove and type of nitrile being used. Consumer confusion on type of materials used in gloves. High wearer acceptability for gloves but low knowledge of materials – may go by color (“I wear the blue gloves”). NPPTL – woman name of Fatimah is also working on gloves. NIOSH may have a database of hand (firefighters). Break Group discussions to determine best fit for future collaborative research. Huiju brought in Globe boots – new model in two different heights to discuss possible collaboration. Qualities of the boots were discussed as was research possibilities. Susan mentioned that Cornell has a full set of sizes for three different styles of firefighter gloves – discussion of possible collaboration. Day 2 Minutes The day started watching videos of glove construction which Cornell shared with the group. Discussion on improvement of glove layers and fit. Discussion on possible new members to invite to the groups meeting next year. Discussion on developing a photo archive for the group. Need to find an online location to hold the images that everyone can access. We have over a thousand images to share from the firefighter research, visit to JC Penney’s headquarters and the Ft. Worth firefighting training center. Discussion on inviting Jeffrey Stull to come to our next meeting as a guest. Tour of the Human Ecology building.

Accomplishment Summaries

Objective 1: Examine acceptance and barriers to acceptance of PPE products and protective clothing, including hand, foot, and headwear: A. foundation anthropometric and ergonomic research B. user acceptance and barriers to acceptance in domain areas of fire protection, chemical protection and medical environments.

• NY and CA worked on a pesticide protective glove study to gain further information on applicators’ knowledge of glove materials and thickness issues. The study has also been designed to examine the relationship between glove knowledge and factors such as main source of glove information and number and type of licenses an applicator has. • CO determined the impact of foot morphology on footwear fit and comfort, using 3D foot scanning technology. The BMI was positively related with the six identified landmarks of foot anthropometry and showed a negative relationship with footwear comfort. CO further evaluated subjective perception of footwear fit and comfort to supplement findings of the anthropometric approach. • Four participating institutions –CO, HI, NY (SUNY-Buffalo, BUFF), and NY (Cornell) conducted focus group interviews about firefighters’ perceptions about their turnout gear, boots, and gloves. • MD collaborated with WA to conduct a wear study of disposable/limited use coveralls for applicators in the tree-fruit industry. This study examined whether lightweight, disposable coveralls would be a viable option for those applying products with open-cab, airblast sprayers. Three manufacturers donated a total of four garments for the study in July of 2013. Data and images from this study were analyzed and the findings presented at the IUPAC meeting in August 2014. Reports regarding the respective coverall(s) were sent to the three companies that provided the disposable garments for the study. • NY conducted an online survey with 516 male and female firefighters in the US and Canada in collaboration with International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, and National Association of Hispanic Firefighters. NY developed and tested an interactive website to help pesticide applicators more easily interpret PPE statements on pesticide labels.

Objective 2: Assess and improve protection and human factor performance of PPE and protective clothing (including hand, foot, and headwear) through research and product development: A. assessment of HF variables in protective clothing. B. design research and development in domain areas of fire protection, chemical protection, and medical environments.

• CO determined the impacts of poor fit of female firefighters’ protective clothing on mobility and firefighting task performance, relative to male counterparts. Joint angles at the waist, knee, and ankle were measured to evaluate the range of motion (ROM), while wearing protective pants. Data demonstrated narrower ROMs in female firefighters than male firefighters, indicating poorer mobility that female firefighters experience. • MN conducted an experimental evaluation of 4 approaches to transporting and containing body moisture in microgravity environments aboard a simulated microgravity flight. These methods are aimed at reducing the effects of sustained exposure to hand sweat in the EVA space suit. • A clinical evaluation of a re-designed patient gown was conducted in two clinical settings by patients and clinicians in MN. We found an improvement in psycho-social and physical comfort for patients in the new gown. For clinicians, the design needs improvement in specific areas related to body access. A second design iteration has been completed and a re-evaluation is underway. • NY conducted a series of human performance test with 12 firefighters to identify the impact of design features of firefighters’ PPE. NY is conducting a fit test of firefighter gloves. Firefighters don the best fitting glove from the size range in each style and assess the fit of the glove. Firefighter hands without gloves, and in the two styles of gloves, (plus the firefighter’s current glove style when available) are scanned, and scans have been merged for analysis. Thirty-three firefighters have participated in the study to date, of whom 15% were women. Further testing, hand measurements from the scans, and analysis is underway. • NY is also conducting a fit test of three disposable coverall styles for pesticide protection, two commercial styles and one developed by the research team based on data collected from agricultural workers. Study participants don coveralls, gloves and footwear, and assess comfort and ease of movement with a series of 4 range-of-movement body positions. 3D body scans are taken of each coverall and each position. Data have been collected on 43 participants (30 female, 13 male; 18 to 40 years old, mean age 22. Recruitment efforts for continuation of this data collection are focused on males in larger sizes.

Objective 3: Develop research-based performance guidelines and standards for personal protective equipment and protective clothing: A. establish performance guidelines and/or standards for domain areas of fire protective footwear and glove protection for pesticide handlers B. establish sizing and fit guidelines for fire protective equipment.

• A collaborative project was initiated by MD in 2012 to develop methodology to measure pesticide permeation through glove materials. A new cell was designed with input from colleagues in the United Kingdom. This cell was used to measure the permeation of active ingredients in pesticides through garment and glove materials. Tests were conducted at São Paulo State University – Jaboticabal as part of the MOU with UMES. Two proposed standards are an outcome of the collaborative research on the permeation test. Drafts for the following work items were developed by MD in consultation with experts from several countries. o ISO/PWI 18889 "Protective gloves for pesticide operators - Performance requirements" is being balloted as a new project. o ISO/PWI 19918 "Protective clothing — Protection against liquid chemicals — Measurement of cumulative permeation of chemicals with low vapour pressure through protective clothing and glove materials" is being balloted as a new project. • A study was conducted to compare pressure penetration and permeation through multicomponent materials used for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The permeation and pressure penetration data were used as the basis for proposing replacement of the pressure penetration test with the permeation test in the ISO 27065 draft. • As Project Leader for International Standards Organization (ISO) Standards on Protective Clothing for Pesticide Operators, the Project Investigator for Maryland worked closely with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) WG3 members to address comments submitted by CEN members regarding ISO 27065 "Protective clothing -- Performance requirements for protective clothing worn by operators applying liquid pesticides." CEN/TC 162 has approved activation of the Work Item for revision of the standard as an ISO/EN standard with ISO lead. • NY is working with International Personnel Protection, Inc. in the development of a technology that could be utilized in the development of a new testing standard for firefighter turnout gear. A sensor garment incorporating parallel electrical conductors sewn into the fabric of a form-fitting hooded coverall to be worn on a manikin is under development. The sensor garment and manikin can be used as part of a standardized test to detect liquid that passes through a protective ensemble to test for protection from liquid challenges. Two prototypes have been developed and are being tested for reliability and durability.

Objective 4: Develop novel functionality in materials for PPE: A. Research on novel environmentally friendly materials and technologies that can provide protective functions. B. Research on novel textile-integrated sensing techniques C. evaluation of the performance of the materials for personal protective applications.

• CA has continued the development of functional materials and textiles, including photo-induced finishing treatment of fabrics, formaldehyde free wrinkle-free treatment of cotton, rechargeable biocidal polyester microfibers, and farmworker garments with reduced heat stress functions. The preparation of biocidal microfiber wipers is currently supported by Rubbermaid with intention to produce self-decontaminating wipers for healthcare and biological protections. The photo-induced surface modification treatment is using certain textile dyes as photo-initiators for radical graft polymerizations on surfaces of fibers. The environmentally friendly wrinkle free treatment of cotton is supported by Cotton Inc.. • CA has been studying farm worker clothing in order to reduce heat stress illness in California farm workers. This project has been supported by Western Center of Agricultural Health and Safety with a grant from NIOSH. The graduate student (Amy Nowicki) designed and prepared some new garments, and evaluated the wearing acceptance by a group of student farmers. In addition, CA has successfully developed high sensitivity colorimetric sensors for two popular fumigants, methyl bromide and chloropicrin, with financial support from California Department of Pesticide Regulation. • Rather than resorting to extrinsic aids, like using additional heat insulation/storage or phase change materials or surface coatings as in other current infrared camouflage technologies, a new scheme of perspiration based infrared camouflage and a corresponding multi-layer cloth prototype were proposed recently by us. In this work, several experiments were conducted on a three-layer system based on the proposed prototype, and the original theories were modified to suit the experimental system. • MN has continued our development and characterization of a novel stitched stretch and bend sensor, fabricated using an industrial coverstitch machine. MN has established a method of insulating the sensor using a fusible polymer film, which was found to reduce noise in the sensor response as well as inhibiting long-term drift during washing and drying. • MN has also begun development of an alternative technique for sensing in-plane body geometries through clothing, by using magnetic field sensors. • Work continues on developing industrial production techniques for integrating standard electronic component packages into textiles by blending technologies and techniques standard to electronic manufacture and those standard to apparel manufacture. We have experimented with two CNC-capable embroidery machines, and research into an improved stitching solution is underway. We have successfully completed surface-mount reflow soldering of simple (2-pin) and complex (8-pin SOIC) packages, and durability and washability testing is underway. • MN has also developed a single-handed typing glove for wearable text input. The glove has been pilot-tested, but thorough evaluation has not yet been completed. • A method was developed to immobilize Cu-BTC metal-organic framework (MOF-199) particles by enmeshing them in nonwoven polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers creating a fibrous membrane with the potential ability to remove chemical warfare agents or pesticides from solution. These membranes were shown to effectively adsorb methyl parathion, an organophosphate pesticide. • Based on solubility theory and experimental results, partitioning was determined to be the main mechanism of removal. After 2 hours, the PAN/MOF-199 membranes removed 88 % more methyl parathion than the unmodified PAN membranes and 62 % as much as the MOF-199 crystal powder. Since the MOF particles were enmeshed in the PAN fiber mats, the MOF particles were in a workable and flexible substrate. Potential applications of these functionalized fibrous membranes include protective clothing for agricultural workers or military personnel as well as filtration media. • Degradation of methyl parathion (MP) adsorbed in metal-organic framework (MOF)-199 cages was studied using solid-state 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Raman spectrometry, and solvent extractions. MP degradation was confirmed to be occurring when adsorbed in CuBTC MOF (MOF-199). Over 67 days of treatment, results show that constitutional isomerization is an early mechanism of methyl parathion degradation with smaller amounts of oxidation (methyl paraoxon) and direct hydrolysis of MP followed by hydrolysis of these early degradation products. Raman spectrometry after 5 days and water extractions after 5 and 35 days supported this conclusion. 4-nitrophenyl, a common MP degradation product, was observed with the amount increasing with exposure time or higher MP loading. Degradation of organic compounds such as methyl parathion, in addition to the selective physisorption, demonstrates the usefulness of MOF-199 for potential applications in protective materials for occupational and military protective clothing. • A method to create fluorescent metal-organic frameworks using rare earths was developed and it is being optimized to use these materials as sensors for detection of leaks of methane and other toxic and flammable gases. These new frameworks can be used in protective clothing and flexible sensors inside mines and other buildings where natural gas may be present. • The antibacterial properties of MOF-199 were studied and found to be highly effective. These discoveries are of great importance as it is possible to tailor MOF-199 to capture gases, work as a sensor as well as antibacterial agent in a true multifunctional capability. • An improved method using covalent bonding has been developed to graft POM onto cotton and electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibrous membranes. Experiments have also been conducted using an electro-static method to graft POM on these membranes. It has been determined that higher loads of POM particles can be grafted on cellulosic materials (whether covalent or electrostatic methods are used). Polycotton samples enable only small/limited amounts of POM particle grafting (whether covalent or electrostatic methods are used.) Higher surface area substrates enable the highest amount of POM grafting. Higher loads of POM on these substrates correspond to higher amounts of methyl parathion decontamination. Further analysis is being conducted to determine which grafting method gave the optimal decontamination results (highest decon to POM loading ratios).