Mechanism of toxic substance transfer from human body in natural fabrics using surface analysis techniques

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06979
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Clothing life/Dwelling life
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Sano Naoko 奈良女子大学, 生活環境科学系, 准教授 (30781851)
• Research Collaborator: KUROSU Hiromichi ; Hashimoto Tomoko ; Amemiya Toshiko
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 老廃物の吸着 / 汎用繊維 / 重ね着 / 被服 / 汗

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This work for the first time has attempted to understand the effect on the property of commodity fabrics as multiple layers with the heavy metals with moisture absorption effect.This study shows that heavy metal indeed transfer from the substrate (a wet skin with artificial sweat including a heavy metal) to upper fabric layers and the concentration of heavy metal ions differing degrees in each layer. Some combinations of the fabrics indicated highly effective adsorption of heavy metals, more heavy metal ions were observed being preferentially remained on the top layer of particular sets of different fabric assemblies than others. They have no significant correlation with the standard moisture regain. This indicates that specific combinations of different fabric layers enhance molecular absorbency rather than single material layers although each fabric possesses no particular function to absorb purposely.

Free Research Field

生活工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

文化的生活者は衣服の重ね着（肌着も含む）をして生活をしており、衣服内気候の研究としては繊維中の水分の移動については様々な研究がされてきたが、人体から排出する老廃物の被服（繊維）中の移動および吸収の研究はされていなかった。本研究では繊維中の老廃物の挙動は現在汎用されている繊維の重ね合わせの組み合わせの違いだけで老廃物が体側ではなく外側の層により吸着されるという結果が得られたことから、着合わせにより効果は小さいながらも薬を服用せずにより健康になる可能性が示唆され、今後繊維への機能化を検討することで、人類の健康増進に役に立つと考える。