Laundering efficiencies of extractors vs household machines on wildland fire contaminants

Background Wildland firefighter gear typically consists of shirts and pants manufactured from textiles such as Nomex® and Kevlar. These materials provide a flame resistant barrier to the wearer but may be difficult to clean. Methods Twelve shirts worn in recent wildland fire events in the United States (US) were analyzed to determine contamination, specifically semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) contamination so that best cleaning practices could be established. Several SVOCs, including phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were identified. New Nomex® textiles used to construct wildland shirts and pants were contaminated and laundered under a range of temperature conditions using a commercial extractor at 40-60 °C (105–140oF) and a household machine at 29-49 °C (85–120°F) to determine cleaning efficiency between commercial (extractor) machines and household washers. Key results Results showed high removal rates (typically above 58%) for all of the chemicals using a temperature and g-forces controlled commercial extractor and a front-loading household washer with a cold/warm/hot selector and no g-force control. Conclusions This research suggests that a dedicated household-grade laundering machine may provide cleaning levels equivalent to commercial extractors for wildland gear. Implications The results may provide a new option for cleaning Nomex wildland protective clothing.