Why it’s important to develope new solutions like mosquito repellent fabrics?
A hot climate is the ideal condition for a lot of insects, amongst them, the mosquitoes. This fact together with the climate change imply mosquitoes with the capacity of surviving for longer periods of time and so, the season of bites and diseases transmission is extended.
Which is the factor of attracting them?
There are many theories: amount of carbon dioxide generate (as higher it is as higher is the attraction), the lactic acid we produce when we breathe or we sweat, the blood type or the perfumes and the clothing we wear.
How can we be protected?
By means of using biocides such as permethrin, icaridin or DEET, among others.
Obtaining mosquito repellent fabrics is getting more importance and so being protected in front of the painful and irritant bites as well as in front of diseases as malaria, dengue or yellow fever. These fabrics can be obtained through the application of biocides.
This application can be done by means of different textile technologies:
- During the extrusion process of synthetic fibres.
- During the finishing process of the fabric
- On the final garment by means of a finishing step.
This kind of process, the textile raw material, the selected biocide (type and state – microcapsules, emulsion and etc.) as well as the care and maintenance conditions of the textile will be the determinant factor of the repellent effect durability.
