Removal of paraquat from contaminated fabrics

Paraquat, 1,1'-dimethy1-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride, is one of the more toxic of the herbicides. It is used in agriculture usually as a water-soluble concentrate. Agricultural pesticide applicators are a group most likely to be contaminated by this compound, either by direct contact with the skin (Gunn and Stevens 1976) or through contaminated clothing (Johnson and Byers 1979; Wolfe et al. 1967). The work reported here concerns methods for removal of paraquat formulation from fabrics which are often worn by agricultural workers.