Performance Evaluation of Protective Clothing Against Toxic Industrial Chemicals

There are two possible solutions to avoid skin resorption of toxic industrial chemicals (TIC). An impermeable overgarment provides effective and reasonable protection, but it is naturally not breathable and presupposes physical stress for the wearer and thus limited work capabilities. In contrast, a semipermeable overgarment containing an adsorption layer currently based on activated carbon is more suitable, because it allows the transfer of corporal heat and dissipates perspiration from the skin. However, it cannot provide the same level of protection against all kinds of TIC. Consequently, an evaluation of the performance of a commercially available overgarment is presented in this study.