ISO 22608:2021

Overview

ISO 22608:2021 - "Protective clothing - Protection against liquid chemicals - Measurement of repellency, retention, and penetration of liquid pesticide formulations through protective clothing materials" - specifies a standardized laboratory test method to quantify how liquid pesticide formulations interact with protective clothing materials. The method measures repellency, retention, and penetration of a known volume of test liquid applied to a specimen, using either a gravimetric procedure (Method A) or an analytical extraction procedure targeting the active ingredient (Method B). The test does not measure permeation or material degradation and is performed with no external hydrostatic or mechanical pressure.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Test objective: Rate relative performance of PPE materials at two contamination levels - 0.1 ml (low) and 0.2 ml (high) of test liquid.
• Applicability: Suitable for field-strength and concentrated pesticide formulations; may be unsuitable for volatile formulations. Applicable to new materials and materials after treatments (laundering, simulated abrasion) - treatment details must be reported.
• Two analysis methods:
  • Method A (gravimetric): Weigh contaminated layers to determine mass distribution of the applied liquid.
  • Method B (analytical): Extract and quantify the active ingredient from each layer (e.g., chromatography, gravimetric, radionuclide tagging as appropriate to the test liquid).
• Test assembly: Test specimen placed over an absorbent collector (absorbent paper backed by polyethylene); a top absorbent layer is applied post-contact to remove residual liquid. No external pressure is applied.
• Apparatus examples: Calibrated pipettor for precise volumes (0.100 ±0.002 ml and 0.200 ±0.004 ml), specimen holder dimensions (100 mm × 100 mm base, 100 mm × 100 mm cover with 60 mm × 60 mm opening), holder material thickness ≥ 6 mm and specified cover plate mass.
• Quality and reporting: Calibration of pipettor, conditioning of specimens, extraction efficiency checks, blank tests, calculation of repellency/retention/penetration, and repeatability/reliability data (Annex A) are required. ISO 2859-1 is cited for sampling procedures.

Applications and typical users

• Practical use:
  • Evaluate PPE fabrics, coveralls, and material treatments for agricultural and pesticide-handling tasks.
  • Compare material performance for procurement, product development, and regulatory compliance.
  • Assess effect of laundering or abrasion on protective performance.
• Typical users:
  • PPE manufacturers and textile laboratories
  • Agricultural safety teams and occupational health professionals
  • Regulatory bodies and test laboratories assessing pesticide PPE
  • R&D teams developing new protective materials or coatings

Related standards and context

• ISO 22608:2021 was prepared by ISO/TC 94/SC 13 (Protective clothing) and references ISO 2859-1 for sampling. Note that ISO 22608 measures penetration (non-molecular flow) not permeation (molecular diffusion), a key distinction for hazard assessment.

Keywords: ISO 22608:2021, protective clothing, liquid pesticides, repellency, retention, penetration, PPE test method, gravimetric, analytical extraction.