Toxic substances on clothing could damage health of infants
24 Sep '10
4 min read
"Parents should be aware", says Prof. Dirk Höfer, Director of the Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology at the Hohenstein Institute, "that their own clothing can transmit toxins from cigarette smoke.” The Hohenstein scientists are now working hard to find a solution for this problem. Prof. Höfer says: "We are currently looking at textile coatings which could neutralise the toxins from the cigarette smoke and so reduce the danger of 'third-hand smoke'. But we still need to do more research."
However, by working with skilled partners in industry, it is possible that they may achieve this goal quite soon. Especially for developing baby-friendly clothing to be worn next to the skin, the "baby skin model" used by the Hohenstein scientists now offers a versatile measuring system.