Sustainable Personal Protective Clothing for Healthcare Applications: A Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Public Health
• Textile Engineering

Background:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for healthcare workers (HCWs) safeguarding against infectious diseases like COVID-19.
• Global demand surges have led to critical shortages of safe and effective PPE, including protective clothing.
• Limited manufacturing capacity, knowledge gaps, and regulatory hurdles hinder global PPE production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current PPE, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
• To survey state-of-the-art antimicrobial fabric finishes for enhanced wearer protection.
• To explore manufacturing techniques, supply chains, and environmental impacts of protective clothing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing PPE, antimicrobial finishes, and manufacturing processes.
• Analysis of supply chain dynamics and regulatory frameworks for medical textiles.
• Assessment of environmental impacts associated with single-use synthetic fiber-based protective clothing.

Main Results:

• Current PPE quality and regulatory standards are discussed.
• Antimicrobial functional finishes offer potential for enhanced protection against pathogens.
• Existing manufacturing and supply chains face challenges in meeting global demand efficiently and sustainably.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for coordinated efforts to develop and produce safe, effective protective clothing using locally available technologies.
• Future research should focus on improving the efficiency, safety, and global availability of protective clothing while minimizing environmental impact.
• Sustainable manufacturing practices and robust supply chains are crucial for future pandemic preparedness.