Design and Validation of Novel Evaporative Local Cooling Coatings to Prevent Adverse Health Effects of Heat Exposure

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to design and evaluate the cooling power of local cooling coats for the head, neck, ankles, and wrists. Methods: Local cooling coatings were designed using Iranians workers' existing 50th anthropometric percentile data. After immersing the cooling coats in water for 5 minutes, they were placed in a chamber at 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C and 30% and 60% humidity and 0.2-0.4 m/s air velocity for 120 minutes. The amount of water evaporation was measured by weighing each coat before and after entering the chamber, and then the cooling power of each coat was calculated based on the amount of water evaporation. Results: The average cooling power of cooling coats with covering areas (two wrists 933.75 cm2, two ankles 1467.37 cm2 and head and neck 1270 cm2) that the total area of the cover is 3671.12 cm2, i.e., about 20% of the body at 30% relative humidity in 30°C, 35°C and 40°C was 67, 77 and 89 watts, respectively. At the mentioned temperature and in 60% relative humidity, the cooling power was 34, 40, and 55 watts. As the relative humidity increased, the cooling power of the coats decreased. Conclusions: Local evaporative cooling coat on the head, neck, wrists, and ankles can reasonably repel excess heat entering the body. The best performance of these coats is in hot and dry environments. Probably, if used in conjunction with cooling vests in environments with high temperatures and heavy activity, it can act as a supplement to cooling vests and have a significant effect on improving functions.

Keywords

• heat illness
• heat stress
• personal protective equipment
• prevention and control