Review of Cotton Dust Control Technology Studies at North Carolina State University

Cultural, Genetic, and Ginning Variations

¹ From the School of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

The effects of several cultural, genetic and ginning variations on the amount of dust emitted while processing cotton in the model cardroom have been examined. Many growing and harvesting variations produced inconsistent results from year to year and growing location to growing location. The observed effects, although statistically significant in many cases, were relatively small except for differences introduced by using two different types of cotton harvesters. Cotton harvested with brush strippers was found to generate 57 percent more dust while processing than cotton harvested with spindle pickers.

None of the genetic variations examined produced changes in dust concentrations large enough to warrant a selection on this basis alone. Of course the main objective of many of the genetic changes, such as removing gossypol glands or introducing frego bracts, is not to reduce the quantity of respirable dust released during processing, but to reduce the biologic effects of the dust. Evaluation of the success in meeting this objective awaits results of appropriate biologic testing or identification of the etiologic agent or agents responsible for byssinosis.

The most successful methods for reducing the amount of respirable dust generated during cotton processing are associated with the ginning studies. In four studies, steaming the cotton in the gin was found to reduce consistently the cotton dust released into the cardroom during processing. The reductions varied from 16 to 36 percent. Using lint cleaners in the ginning line also consistently reduced the dust content of the cotton. In four separate evaluations, the use of one lint cleaner reduced the dust emitted from the cotton during processing by an average of 22 percent. With three lint cleaners, the total reduction averaged 52 percent.