Sustainable textiles repel biting bugs
Ticks are carriers of human and animal diseases, which are becoming more prevalent as a result of climate change. Bedbugs are also increasing due to climate change, as well as a result of the increased movement of people and reduced susceptibility to pesticides. Although ticks and bedbugs are found in different environments they have similar behaviour and can be combated using the same biocides. The EU-funded BETITEX (Development of sustainable textiles against bugs) project was established to create textile materials for outdoor clothing and home textile products that contain a biocide to repel or kill ticks and bedbugs. ′The aim of this research is to improve the durability, sustainability and effectiveness of insecticidal and repellent products which are currently on the market,′ says BETITEX coordinator Dr Ariadna Detrell. At present, a repellent spray containing a biocide is the commonest way to control ticks and bedbugs. However, not all of them are accepted by the Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products, due to their toxicity and environmental impact. ′One of the main issues surrounding the existing biocides is their toxicity to humans, as vapours can be generated due to the high temperatures achieved during the application procedure on textile materials. This fact needs to be considered when scaling up the process in the textile industry, which is not used to working with such chemicals,′ Dr Detrell explains. Natural, biodegradable or recyclable textile materials used in combination with authorised biocides and eco-friendly textile technologies will help to overcome this challenge. BETITEX has therefore conducted detailed studies of different encapsulation technologies for application on textiles, in order to minimize the toxicity of the treated fabrics. ′Toxicity can be reduced through the encapsulation of the active substance and its controlled release,′ Dr Detrell states. ′Different biocides have been studied and embedded using two different technologies: micro- and nanoencapsulation and sol gel. They were then applied to textile materials during the extrusion of polypropylene yarn and also through different textile finishing technologies, such as padding, coating and dyeing,′ adds Dr Detrell. This approach helps to control the repellent or insecticide effect, thereby contributing to a longer lifespan for the biocide. It also leads to greater durability, enabling the effect to be maintained even after the textile has been washed 50 times. ′Although not all the solutions developed have the same effectiveness the results are positive′ observes Dr Detrell. ′In most prototypes, 100 % mortality rate of ticks and bedbugs was obtained in less than 24 hours. Furthermore, during the project a synergistic effect was achieved, combining specific biocides with specific embedding and application technologies on different fabrics.′ ′Another important point to highlight is that the biocides we used are not the ones most commonly found in products that are already on the market, such as outdoor clothing protecting against ticks and mattress covers protecting against bedbugs. In addition, the key results have been obtained not only at the laboratory scale but also at the industrial scale.′ BETITEX will therefore help to limit human exposure to biocides by reducing the need for and use of repellent spray. It also will offer the possibility to obtain protective clothing for those venturing into tick infested areas, while treated household fabrics ensure sleepers do not have to worry about being feasted on by bedbugs in the middle of the night.
Keywords
Ticks, bedbugs, BETITEX, biocide, textiles, encapsulation