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Related Experiment Videos

Temperature and humidity within the clothing microenvironment.

P J Sullivan1, I B Mekjavić

  • 1Canadian Astronaut Program Office, Canadian Space Agency, Rockliffe Base, Ottawa, Ontario.

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|March 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Protective clothing creates a hotter, more humid microenvironment near the skin, even in moderate heat. Different suit materials significantly impact these conditions and worker heat strain.

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Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Environmental Physiology
  • Textile Science

Background:

  • Workers in hot environments face risks from heat stress.
  • Protective clothing can alter the thermal conditions experienced by the wearer.
  • Understanding the microclimate within clothing is crucial for worker safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the microenvironment conditions created by different helicopter personnel suits.
  • To assess the impact of these microenvironments on physiological responses.
  • To compare dry-suit and wet-suit designs under controlled heat exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Five subjects were exposed to a gradually increasing ambient temperature (20-40°C) followed by a period at 40°C.
  • Subjects wore four types of suits: Gore-Tex, Cotton Ventile, Nomex/Insulite, and Nomex/Neoprene.

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  • Measurements included skin/rectal temperatures and microenvironment temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure (T mu, RH mu, VP mu).

    • Main Results:

    • Microenvironment temperatures were similar across suits and slightly lower than ambient.
    • Relative humidity (RH mu) and vapor pressure (VP mu) inside suits were significantly higher than ambient air.
    • Nomex/Insulite and Nomex/Neoprene suits had the highest VP mu; Nomex/Insulite led to greater rectal temperature increase.

    Conclusions:

    • Protective clothing significantly modifies the thermal microenvironment next to the skin.
    • High vapor pressure within suits can increase heat strain, particularly with impermeable materials.
    • It is essential to differentiate between ambient and clothing microenvironment conditions for accurate heat stress assessment.