The efficacy of laundering Captan and Guthion^® contaminated fabrics

An evaluation was made of the launder-ability of fabrics contaminated with pesticides. The variables examined were pesticide composition, fabric type, and laundry conditions. Fabric selection enabled the comparison of fabrics commonly worn by the agriculture worker, 100% cotton denim and 100% cotton chambray, and alternate fabrics Gore Tex^® and Tyvek^®, that have been shown to provide greater protection against pesticide penetration. Pesticide selection enabled a comparison between a dicarboximide fungicide and a organophosphorous insecticide. A chamber was designed to provide a laboratory simulation of a field spraying application and was used to contaminate the fabric samples with pesticide residues. The laundry procedure simulated one-home laundry cycle using a heavy duty liquid detergent. Three variations of washwater temperatures were used in the laundry process. Overall, the laundry process removed a relatively high percentage of pesticide residues. However, a significant difference in removal was attributed to pesticide composition, fabric type and wash temperature. Captan residue removal from cotton fabric was lower when compared to synthetic fabrics. Guthion^® residues were more difficult to remove from the fabric Gore Tex^®. An increase in wash temperature resulted in an increase in pesticide removal.