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This review addresses the role of household washing machines in the release of plastic microfibers (MFs), and means to minimize emissions. Specifically, various strategies with potential to mitigate MFs discharge are critically evaluated, such as modifying laundering conditions and implementing point-of-use capturing systems. The currently available point-of use devices for MFs removal are associated with technical limitations, and obtaining a complete removal of the plastic contaminants remains an open challenge. To allow safe wash water discharge and target impending regulations, point-of-use devices should be user-friendly, compatible with washing machines, easily maintainable, and provide near complete removal of MFs. Advantages, limitations, and challenges of capturing devices are thus critically discussed, and possible improvement strategies are proposed. MFs detection techniques are also briefly presented in this review, and the need for standardization and simplification is highlighted. Overall, efforts are required to promote a wide approach toward environment-friendly laundering of textiles, including source control, encouraging biodegradable materials use and recycling, and implementing effective filtration and treatment processes for MFs, both at the point-of-use and in centralized treatment plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many pollutants present in wastewater that require urgent remediation. Methylene blue (MB) has become the most undesirable pollutant. Various industries such as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, textiles and households have been responsible for releasing MB into the environment. Its toxicity and acute health implications for animals and humans have suggested several technological applications for its removal. Biological methods using plant‐based wastes have been identified to be the most effective material for removing MB and other dye pollutants. Previous research studies have employed biological adsorbents to eliminate MB and were reviewed. The purpose of the study was to determine the removal efficiency gap of MB using biological wastes. In this present review, various biological wastes and their functionalization were explored. The study proved that chemically modified bioadsorbents were favourable in removing MB. Its ability to produce secondary pollutants from chemical agents has made it undesirable. Several factors such as pH, dosage of catalyst, contact time and temperature have also been reviewed to influence biosorption. The best data representations to describe the biosorption of MB were the Langmuir and pseudo‐second‐order models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores what factors influence household textile washing behaviour and how these factors relate to greenhouse gas emissions during the textile use stage. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey related to textile summer washing and care behavior was conducted among households in 16 administrative districts of Shanghai. This study used the modified Consumer Lifestyle Approach framework of the washing and care ecosystem. The research hypotheses were established by selecting related factors from four aspects: household demographic characteristics, economy and consumption characteristics, washing machines and detergents characteristics. Findings: First, we have demonstrated how some course factors do not significantly affect greenhouse emissions. None of the demographics, detergent-related activities, economy and consumption constructs significantly affect greenhouse emissions. Second, we have identified that washing machine and related activities has a direct positive effect on GHG emissions. The washing machine is not only the de facto carrier of all washing activities but also the core of washing activities. Washing machine is crucial in reducing greenhouse emissions and adjusting consumer behaviors. Originality/value: This paper conducts a study related to the washing and care behavior of households in Shanghai. The paper examines the factors influencing household washing behavior and the relationship between these factors and greenhouse gas emissions during the textile use phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile industry comprises technologies that transform synthetic or natural fibers into yarn, cloth, and felt for manufacturing clothing, upholstery, and household linens. The major public health threat in tropical and subtropical countries is mosquito‐borne malaria. Nowadays, the demand for insect repellent‐based textiles is continuously rising, as they are used for protection against diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The present work reviews studies on the fabrication of insect repellent containing electrospun polymeric nanofibers as principal tools for protecting people against mosquito bites. Electrospinning technology is a remarkably facile technique for fabricating polymeric nanofiber devices. The technique is outlined and elucidated. The performance of insect repellent‐based polymeric nanofibers against mosquitoes is carefully reported and comprehensively reviewed in‐depth. Furthermore, the progress made on the mathematical modeling of the release rate of repellents through polymeric nanofiber devices is reviewed. The reviewed studies demonstrate that repellents can be released slowly from electrospun nanofibers, increasing the product's protection period against insects. The reviewed works suggest that electrospinning technology has led to an effective and facile methodology for fabricating functional nanofiber textiles with insect repellent. The reviewed studies showed that product‐based repellents can be effective not only against malaria but also against other mosquito‐borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• The PAE content in used face towels was significantly higher than that of new face towels. • The concentrations of PAEs in coral velvet were significantly higher than those in cotton. • Water washing removed some PAEs from the face towels, while detergent washing increased the PAE content. • The health risks from PAEs exposure were far below the limit. The production of face towels is growing at an annual rate of about 4% in China, reaching 1.13 million tons by 2021. Phthalates (PAEs) are widely used in textiles, and face towels, as an important household textile, may expose people to PAEs via the skin, further leading to health risks. We collected new face towels and analyzed the distribution characterization of PAEs in them. The changes of PAEs were explored in a face towel use experiment and a simulated laundry experiment. Based on the use of face towels by 24 volunteers, we calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) and comprehensively assessed the hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and dermal cancer risk (DCR) of PAEs exposure in the population. PAEs were present in new face towels at total concentrations of

During laundering, synthetic textiles (polyester, polyamide, etc.) can release small fiber debris with a length of <5 mm. These are a type of microplastics (MPs), usually referred to as microfibers (MFs), which are considered high-concern pollutants due to their continuous and cumulative entrance into the environment. Currently, as far as we know, there are no feasible alternatives to remove them. In this work, four new and sustainable filtering systems are proposed to retain the MFs emitted from domestic washing machines. The filters contain a replaceable cartridge partially filled with recycled low-density polyethylene pellets. The four designed filtering systems of different sizes were tested in a household washing machine determining the retention efficiency of the MFs after several washing cycles. It was found that all four assessed filter arrangements have a good performance for retaining MFs from the washers' effluents. Filter F1 (diameter of 4 cm and a height of 30 cm) started retaining more than 50% of the MFs, at the 10th washing cycle, the retention climbed to 66%, while in the 20th washing cycle, its retention was greater than 80%. MFs retention was higher for filter F2 (diameter of 6.3 cm and a height of 41 cm), achieving a performance greater than 90% in the 20th washing cycle. Filter F3 was arranged by turning the F1 model flow upside down and the retention efficiency is higher compared with filter F1 values, reaching a retention efficiency of almost 100% in the 15th washing cycle. Finally, filter F4 arrangement was developed using the existing washing machine filter, obtaining better performance than the F1 and F2 filters, reaching efficiencies higher than 90% at the 20th washing cycle. In summary, depending on the arrangement, the microfiber retention efficiency was estimated between 52% and 86% in the 1st washing cycle and up to 83% to 99% in the 20th. Additionally, all arrangements demonstrated that the cartridges may last for more than 30 washing cycles before needing to be replaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poliester and cotton fibres are the most utilized fibres by the textile and clothing sector, where ring spinning and open-end rotor spinning systems are the most widely used technologies to manufacture yarn by the sector. Also, with the increment in sustainable awareness in the sector, new approaches like use of recycled raw materials have been improved. The yarns converted from recycled fibres have been started to be intensively used in apparel and household textiles. However, recycled yarns are considered as mechanically weak. In the present study, it is aimed to how yarn type and fabric tightness affect the pilling tendency, mechanical characteristic, and vertical liquid transfer behaviour of knitted fabrics. For this purpose, six different knitted fabrics with different loop lengths were manufactured in single jersey construction using different yarn types. The selected yarns are 100% poliester (PES) ring carded, 100% cotton (Co) ring carded, and recycled polyester/cotton open-end rotor yarns in 35/65 proportion. In this direction, pilling resistance, bursting strength, and wicking tests were performed. It was observed that the knitted fabrics using PES ring carded yarns have medium to light pilling tendency, while the knitted fabrics using PES/Co blended open-end yarns show serious to medium pilling tendency. In addition, loose fabrics with higher loop length have no pilling tendency. Tight fabrics have the highest strength, whereas the fabrics from recycled open-end rotor yarns have poor strength. In both wale and course direction, the fabrics knitted using PES ring carded yarns displayed better wicking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human monkeypox virus (MPV), a zoonotic illness that was hitherto solely prevalent in Central and West Africa, has lately been discovered to infect people all over the world and has become a major threat to global health. Humans unintentionally contract this zoonotic orthopoxvirus, which resembles smallpox, when they come into contact with infected animals. Studies show that the illness can also be transferred through frequent proximity, respiratory droplets, and household linens such as towels and bedding. However, MPV infection does not presently have a specified therapy. Smallpox vaccinations provide cross-protection against MPV because of antigenic similarities. Despite scant knowledge of the genesis, epidemiology, and ecology of the illness, the incidence and geographic distribution of monkeypox outbreaks have grown recently. Polymerase chain reaction technique on lesion specimens can be used to detect MPV. Vaccines like ACAM2000, vaccinia immune globulin intravenous (VIG-IV), and JYNNEOS (brand name: Imvamune or Imvanex) as well as FDA-approved antiviral medications such as brincidofovir (brand name: Tembexa), tecovirimat (brand name: TPOXX or ST-246), and cidofovir (brand name: Vistide) are used as therapeutic medications against MPV. In this overview, we provide an outline of the MPV's morphology, evolution, mechanism, transmission, diagnosis, preventative measures, and therapeutic approaches. This study offers the fundamental information required to prevent and manage any further spread of this emerging virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Oral Folk Literature / Estudis de Literatura Oral Popular is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The influence of the alkaline delignification of hemp on its moisture uptake has been studied under the project "Preparation and functionalization of hemp for textile substrates" focussed on the reduction of cotton imports for the manufacturing of clothing, household textiles and medical devices. The project looks for the partial replacement of cotton by hemp on the production of natural cellulosic textiles. Hemp fibres are alkaline delignified at different times to evaluate its effect on their moisture uptake behaviour to evaluate the ability of replacing cotton in the next-to-skin goods manufacturing. The paper gives three easy tools to analyse the moisture uptake behaviour by determining the sorption ratio, the hysteresis and the parameters of the isotherms fitted using three different models (GAB, Hailwood-Horrobin and Dent) to the absorption desorption isotherms. The samples of the original and delignified hemp have been subjected to moisture absorption/desorption trials from 5% to 95% RH at 25 °C. Sorption ratio and hysteresis reveal the greater influence of lignin on moisture uptake at low relative humidities, while at high, was cellulose which plays the most important role. The models fitted to the isotherms show that delignification decreases the size of the monolayer that, in desorption results always greater than in absorption. The energy constants of the monolayer for delignified fibres in absorption were higher than those for the original fibres, while the opposite occurred in desorption. Lignin caused great differences between absorption and desorption. The energy constants of the multilayer show a greater range of variation in delignified samples than in the original one, and results in absorption were higher than those in desorption. Delignification time of 3 h reached the highest cellulose content which best approached to the cellulose content of cotton causing that the moisture uptake behaviour drew near to it, especially at higher relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two major problems associated with the use of antibacterial cotton fabric. The durability of the fabric is poor, and the inherent properties of the fabric deteriorate following the execution of the finishing processes. These limit the application of antibacterial fabric. We first treated the cotton fabric with acryloyl chloride (AC) molecules to make the surface of the fabric rich in carbon‑carbon double (C=C) bonds. Following this, the [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (DMES) monomer was polymerized with the C C bonds on the fabric following the "grafting through" method. As a result, the cotton fabric was successfully grafted with the poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (PDMES), exploiting covalent bonds. The finished fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial effects. The bacterial reduction (BR) rates of the finished fabric against E. coli and S. aureus were greater than 99.0 %. Even after 50 washing cycles, the BR rates of the finished fabric against E. coli and S. aureus were greater than 96.0 %. In addition, the use of the "self-created" mist polymerization technology ensured that the inherent properties of the finished fabric were retained to a large extent. Therefore, the antibacterial cotton fabric prepared following this method can be potentially used for the fabrication of industrial and household textiles. • "Self-created" mist polymerization device was used to prepare antibacterial cotton fabric. • The finished fabric showed excellent antibacterial effect. • The finished fabric exhibited outstanding antibacterial durability. • The inherent properties of finished fabric were not reduced by a large extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, textile laundering hygiene has proved to be a fundamental measure in preventing the spread of infections. The first part of our study evaluated the decontamination efficiency of various treatments (thermal, photothermal, and microwave) for bio contaminated textiles. The effects on textile decontamination of adding saturated steam into the drum of a household textile laundering machine were investigated and evaluated in the second part of our study. The results show that the thermal treatment, conducted in a convection heating chamber, provided a slight reduction in efficiency and did not ensure the complete inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus on cotton swatches. The photothermal treatment showed higher reduction efficiency on contaminated textile samples, while the microwave treatment (at 460 W for a period of 60 s) of bio contaminated cotton swatches containing higher moisture content provided satisfactory bacterial reduction efficiency (more than 7 log steps). Additionally, the treatment of textiles in the household washing machine with the injection of saturated steam into the washing drum and a mild agitation rhythm provided at least a 7 log step reduction in S. aureus. The photothermal treatment of bio contaminated cotton textiles showed promising reduction efficiency, while the microwave treatment and the treatment with saturated steam proved to be the most effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common and plantar warts are caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV). Mode of transmission of wart HPVs within families is largely unknown. Objective: To demonstrate similarity of HPV type(s) among wart cases, family members and household linen. Methods: In a cross‐sectional study, swabs taken from 123 warts and foreheads of 62 index patients and 157 family members and from 58 kitchen towels and 59 bathroom mats were tested for DNA of 23 cutaneous wart‐associated HPV types. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to estimate the chance of detecting the same HPV type as was found in the index patients on the family contacts and on the kitchen towels and bathroom mats. Results: HPV1, HPV2, HPV27 and HPV57 were the most prevalent types in the warts of the index patients. Altogether, 60 (42.3%) of the 142 family members without warts had HPV DNA on their foreheads. When HPV1 and HPV2 were found in the warts, these types were also frequently (>50%) found on the foreheads of index patients and their family members, as well as on the kitchen towels and the bathroom mats. HPV27 and HPV57 were less frequently found (<25%) on foreheads and linen. No associations were found for age, sex and site of HPV DNA presence. Conclusion: Dissemination of skin wart‐causing HPV types, from wart cases to household contacts and linen, such as kitchen towels and bathroom mats, is more likely for HPV1 and HPV2 than for HPV27 and HPV57. The role of towels and bathroom mats in HPV transmission deserves further investigation. Linked Commentary A. Kreuter and U. Wieland. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022; 36: 11–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17820. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textiles production and consumption system is a priority product-value chain for the European Commission in its 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan. The Action Plan foresees a European Union strategy for sustainable textiles in a circular economy with the aim of creating markets for sustainable and circular textile products, services, and business models. The European Environment Agency (EEA) and its Topic Center on Waste and Materials in a Green Economy (ETC/WMGE) have shown that consumption of clothing, footwear, and household textiles in Europe is on average the fourth highest category of environmental and climate impacts from a consumption perspective and from a vantage point that considers the entire life cycle. The fashion industry is responsible for more than 60% of total textiles used and clothing is expected to remain the largest application of textiles in the future. To enable a sustainable and circular textiles system, a transformation of fashion production and consumption is needed. This transformation requires innovation in business-model design, technology, and social practices through the adoption of specific policy making, education, and behavioral change enablers. In this Brief Report, we present a framework to map and advance the implementation and scaling of circular business models. This is illustrated by exploring four different circular business-model approaches for fashion and textiles, including models based on product durability; access models based on renting, leasing, and sharing; garment collection and resale; and recycling and reuse of materials. For each business-model type, we discuss enablers based on technical and social innovations and policy, behavioral change, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]