CHEMICALLY TREATED CLOTHING DETOXIFIES PESTICIDES Finding that sometimes it takes a chemical to beat a chemical, UC Davis researchers have developed chemically treated clothing that detoxifies pesticides to which farm workers and even home gardeners are exposed. Because past studies have shown that 97 percent of pesticides entering the body pass through the skin, workers exposed to high levels of pesticides must wear clothing made of synthetic materials that block out the pesticides. But because those materials don't "breathe," they are uncomfortable to wear while doing vigorous agricultural work. And once contaminated, they must be disposed of, which is costly and poses a secondary environmental problem. As an alternative, the UC Davis researchers treated cotton/polyester fabric with a chemical called hydantoin, which breaks down agricultural pesticides known as carbamates into small, harmless fragments. The garment can then be washed with chlorine bleach, which reactivates the hydantoin for further protective use. "Our goal is not to replace existing protective clothing, but to come up with comfortable, economical clothing that will protect workers who have lower but chronic exposure to pesticides," explained Louise Ko, a UC Davis graduate student working with Gang Sun, an assistant professor of textiles and clothing. Laboratory tests showed that the treated fabrics took less than five minutes to degrade some carbamate pesticides by as much as 99 percent. The technique has not yet been tested on organophosphates, which include many agricultural pesticides now being used. Ko said the idea was a spin-off from related work in Gang Sun's laboratory in which anti-bacterial chemicals were placed in fabric for use in surgical gowns for health professionals and patients. She presents her findings today at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, Calif.