SEDL / STP / STP1237-EB / STP14066S

Determination of Pesticide Levels as the Result of Cross-Contamination During Laundering

Milikin, C
Quality Assurance Manager, JCPenney Purchasing Corp., Taipei,

Oakland, BG
Professor, School of Human Environmental Sciences The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Hurwitz, MD
Professor Emeritus, School of Human Environmental Sciences The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Pages: 11    Published: Jan 1996

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Abstract

This study investigated the pesticide cross-contamination that occurs during laundering. The effects of pesticide, water temperature, and fabric combination were examined. Pesticide soiled fabric samples were individually laundered along with the same weight fabric that had not been exposed to pesticides in an Atlas Launder-Ometer in a method to represent one home laundry cycle. Samples were individually extracted and analyzed using gas Chromatographie techniques. An analysis of variance procedure was used to test for the main effects and interactions of the main effects. All main effects were significant at the 0.01 level. Further examination of all possible pair-wise comparisons of treatment means was carried out with a Duncan's multiple range post hoc procedure. Cross-contamination of pesticide residue was found to be dependent on pesticide with individual pesticides exhibiting different patterns of residue transfer. Laundry conditions and fabrics that allow for greater removal of pesticide residue provided an opportunity for more pesticide to be transferred to other fabrics.