Antimicrobial Agent Protects NASA Crew's Clothing and Linens
Posted on: Thursday, 18 November 2004, 03:00 CST
Fosshield antimicrobial technology
Foss Manufacturing
Hampton, NH
603-929-6000
www.fossmfg.com
The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 6 (NEEMO 6) project allows participants to practice long-duration life in space and evaluate equipment for the International Space Station. Part of the study took into account how to protect crewmembers from bacterial growth in their clothing and linens while on space missions.
The NEEMO 6 crew practiced space habitation off the coast of Florida in an underwater facility known as Aquarius. During this ten- day mission, the crewmembers used clothing, towels, and bedding produced with Fosshield, an all-natural antimicrobial technology derived from a silver-based compound. The Fosshield process incorporates the silver-based agent into fibers, creating a permanent protection.
In order to determine the effectiveness of the antimicrobial technology, NEEMO 6 crewmembers also used non-antimicrobial clothing and linens during the mission. The microbial levels of both these and the Fosshield-equipped fabrics were examined at mission's end. In every test, a lower incidence of microbial growth in the Fosshield fabrics was documented.
"We place great importance on the health, safety, and comfort of the specialists who participate in NASA missions, and we are always working to maintain a healthy environment in our on-orbit facilities," said Tara Ruttley, a NASA engineer who served as a mission specialist for NEEMO 6. "The closed-system Aquarius test capsule provided us with an ideal opportunity to evaluate the performance of the 'silver ion' fabric in a high-fidelity space station situation."
For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/3060-116
Fosshield-equipped clothing and linens protected against the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew during the undersea mission.
Copyright Associated Business Publications Nov 2004
Source: NASA Tech Briefs
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