ALAROMA-IMR

Microencapsulated Mosquito Repellent

Why Alaroma IMR:
Because of global warming the distribution of mosquitoes has
expanded from tropical regions to northern latitudes, and that
leads to a spread in sources of viral infection from mosquitoes.
Especially, the West Nile fever virus, which has infected many
people around the world recently, has become a big issue.

To ensure our security and safety from the future hazards, we need
to equally develop the technology for our protection. With regard
to textiles, the protective textile field of the smart textiles has to
fulfill this requirement.

A Mosquito repellent textile is one such textile product.

It protects the human beings from the bite of mosquitoes and

thereby promising safety from the diseases like malaria and Nile
fever.

To impart this character a finish of the mosquito repelling agent is

given to the textile material using Alaroma IMR.
What problems can be caused by mosquito bites?

Ordinarily, the bites of mosquitoes and other insects are just a

nuisance, although the bite may cause itching or swelling. The
symptoms of an insect bite can usually be treated with over-the-
counter medications. However, in rare situations, an insect bite can
transmit certain diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis
encephalitis and California (LaCrosse) encephalitis.

Insect-repellent textiles are considered by public health agencies

worldwide to be an increasingly important component in the fight to
reduce the incidence of insect-borne infectious diseases such as
malaria, West Nile virus, encephalitis, dengue fever, Lyme Disease
and numerous others. Insect-borne diseases afflict hundreds of
millions of people each year and represent a significant portion of
overall infectious diseases, which globally rank second among all
causes of death. Vaccines and therapeutic drugs have yet to be
developed to treat many of these diseases, so preventive measures
must be taken to control these insects and avoid contact with them.
 Mosquito Attractants
Mosquitoes have complex methods of detecting hosts and
different types of mosquitoes react to different stimuli.
Most mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, but there
are also mosquitoes that seek hosts during the day. You
can avoid being bitten by making sure you aren't attracting
mosquitoes, using attractants to lure mosquitoes
elsewhere, using a repellent, and avoiding actions that
diminish the effectiveness of the repellent.
 Mosquito Attractants
Items and activities that attract mosquitoes as a list of things to avoid or that can
be used as bait to lure mosquitoes away from you.
Dark Clothing
Many mosquitoes use vision to locate hosts from a distance. Dark clothes and
foliage are initial attractants.
Carbon Dioxide
You give off more carbon dioxide when you are hot or have been exercising. A
burning candle or other fire is another source of carbon dioxide.
Lactic Acid
You release more lactic acid when you have been exercising or after eating
certain foods (e.g., salty foods, high-potassium foods).
Floral or Fruity Fragrances
In addition to perfumes, hair products, and scented sunscreens, watch for the
subtle floral fragrance from fabric softeners and dryer sheets.
Skin Temperature
The exact temperature depends on the type of mosquito. Many mosquitoes are
attracted to the slightly cooler temperatures of the extremities.
Moisture
Mosquitoes are attracted by perspiration because of the chemicals it contains and
also because it increases the humidity around your body. Even small amounts of
water (e.g., moist plants or mud puddles) will draw mosquitoes. Standing water
What are DEET insect repellents?

DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is a versatile and

effective insect repellent. Insect repellents containing

DEET have been used for more than 40 years by

millions of people worldwide to repel mosquitoes, ticks,
fleas, biting flies and chiggers. These products are
available in many formulations, including lotions,
creams, gels, aerosol and pump sprays, and towelettes.
Insect repellents can reduce the risk of mosquito and
tick bites, but products containing DEET must be used
properly.
Mechanism of repellent action
Action of repellent agent for blood-sucking insects
including mosquitoes can be broadly divided into two
types which are actions to repel insects by acting on the
olfactory and tactile senses.
Action of repellent on sense of smell is called transpiration
repelling, and this has the effect of keeping insects away
without them touching a surface processed with the
repellent agent.How it works is that repellent molecules
block insects’ humidity sensory holes, which makes
humans inaccessible to insects by inhibiting the function
of sensing moisture, while insects usually use warm and
humid convection rising from the human body as a guide
for contacting humans sensing an increase in atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentrations.
Action of repellent stimulating sense of touch is called
direct-contact repelling, and this drives insects off the
processed surface before blood sucking even after
touching the surface. Biting insects use chemical, visual,
and thermal cues to locate hosts.
Mechanism of repellent action
DEET is believed to work by blocking the chemical receptors for
carbon dioxide and lactic acid, two of the substances released by our
bodies that serve as attractants. Although DEET helps keep insects
from locating people, there is probably more involved in DEET's
effectiveness, since mosquitoes won't bite through DEET-treated
fabric. However, skin only a few centimeters away from DEET is
susceptible to bites.

It is believed that repellent substances work on insects’ peripheral

nervous systems when contact is made, causing a collaterally-
expressed confusional state and inhibition under sublethal doses
before knockdown and lethal action.

L.N. Chemical’s anti-mosquito finishing agent, “Alaroma IMR,” has

excellent effects based on the mechanism of the direct-contact
repelling type.

It can be effective mainly in outdoor-related textile products, promoted

for garments/tents for mountain climbing and trekking and fishing
wear for outdoors, bedroom curtains, towel blankets, pajamas,
bedding, garments/gloves for gardening, and work clothes for farming.
What about using DEET repellents
on children?

No definitive studies exist in the scientific literature about what

concentration of DEET is safe for children. No serious illness has
been linked to the use of DEET in children when used according the
product recommendations. The American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) Committee on Environmental Health has recently updated
their recommendation for use of DEET products on children, citing:
"Insect repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, also
known as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) with a concentration of
10% appear to be as safe as products with a concentration of 30%
when used according to the directions on the product labels."
What about using DEET repellents on children
The AAP and other experts suggest that it is acceptable to
apply repellent with low concentrations of DEET to infants
over 2 months old. Other guidelines cite that it is acceptable
to use repellents containing DEET on children over 2 years of
age. Repellent products that do not contain DEET are not
likely to offer the same degree of protection from mosquito
bites as products containing DEET. Non-DEET repellents
have not necessarily been as thoroughly studied as DEET,
and may not be safer for use on children.
Is DEET safe for pregnant or nursing women?
There are no reported adverse events following use of
repellents containing DEET in pregnant or breastfeeding
women.
Indoor tests: application tests under
constant conditions

This procedure complies with a protocol which was

developed for the Stiftung Warentest, the German
equivalent of the Consumer Reports in the United
States. The test rooms are air conditioned, and the
number, age, and species of the mosquitoes used in the
study can be controlled. This test is a good alternative
field tests: More realistic than cage tests, but possible at any
time and at less expense.
Tests of insecticide-treated textiles and surfaces

The effectiveness of insecticide-treated textiles (such as bed nets, canvas, etc.) or

surfaces is usually studied in standardized cone bioassays with insecticide-
susceptible strains of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. The procedure
is promoted by the WHO and other international and national organizations. In the
case of the evaluation of insecticides with additional repellent properties, where
exposed mosquitoes might spend more time resting on the cone and not on the
treated surface, alternatives such as the wire-ball test (wrapping the textile around
a wire frame and introducing mosquitoes into this ball), cylinder tests
(the inside of a test cylinder is covered with the textile), and other methods are
often applied.
Tick tests
Effective protection from ticks, the carriers of Lyme disease (borreliosis) and tick-
borne encephalitis (TBE), is becoming increasingly important. This is why, in
collaboration with tick specialists, we also offer efficacy tests with ticks. We cater
for all requirements – from basic in vitro lab tests (moving object assays) to lab
tests with human subjects and field studies.
Cone test of an
insecticide-treated textile.

Mosquitoes (usually malaria

mosquitoes, Anopheles
gambiae) are introduced into
a standardized cone for a
defined time span, then
removed and transferred to
small cages to determine the
knock-down and knock-dead
rates.
Field tests: the most meaningful evidence for the
efficacy of a treated textile:

Field studies are the ultimate verification of the

performance of your product. The most realistic
conditions deliver the most meaningful results. We
perform field tests in Europe, North America, Brazil, and
Australia.

Testing repellent-treated textiles in the field near

Regensburg:

The location in which these tests were performed is

especially rich in the floodwater mosquitoes Aedes
vexans and Aedes/Ochlerotatus sticticus. Ae. vexans is
distributed almost world-wide, Ae./Oc. sticticus in
Europe, northern Asia, and North America.
ALAROMA-IMR
Application:
By Pad:
50-80 g/l of ALAROMA-IMR disperse in water, then add 5.0 g/l of Fixer-ALN
and stir well.
This dilution should be set at 80-100% of pick-up ratio, dry-100-105ºC & cure at
170-180ºC for 40 -60 secs.
By exhaust
On 100% PE & PV(70-30/80-20 etc):
MLR 1:10
Alroma-IMR 10-12 g/l
pH 5.0
Temperature 120-130ºC
Time 30-45 mins
Hot Water wash,
Cold wash, dry
Mosquito repellency Results:
Fabric Substrate: P/V(65/35) & 100 % Polyester
Dosage:
P/V(65/35) : Alaroma-IMR+ Fixer-ALN : (80+5) g/l
100% PE : Alaroma-IMR : 50 g/l

Test Method 1:

Modified WHO/CTD/WHO PES/IC/96.1

Mosquitoes Used: Male & Female – Culex Species
No Of Mosquito used: 10
Excito Repellency Test Chamber:
Metal chamber measuring 26 x 26 cms with flexible sides & top
window for viewing
Size of the fabric: 1 meter
Duration of test: 30 minutes
 • Observations:
Fabric No of No of No of No of %
Mosquitoes Mosquitoes on Mosquitoes on Mosquitoes Repelle
released in treated fabric untreated Showing ncy
treated fabric fabric
chamber mobility

Initial After Initial After Initial After Initial After

10 30 10 30 10 30 10 30
mins mins mins mins mins mins mins mins

100% 10 10 Nil Nil 5 6 5 4 100

PE

P/V 10 10 Nil Nil 6 8 4 2 100

[65/35]
Test Method 2 :
Results of US Patent 5, 198, 287 & USDA laboratory Method
Insect used: Female mosquito Culex species
No. of insects released in laboratory tent:
12 per 10 – 20 gms of fabric/½ a meter
No. of hours of incubation: 3 hrs intermittent
3 hrs exposure of mosquito was carried out in a tent made by the provided
fabric. Every 1 hour, observations were made about the movements, biting
tendency and survival of mosquitoes. Following observations have been made
as mean average of experiment conducted two times:

Fabric Total No. Total No. Bite counts %

Knock Down Unable to fly per 3 mins Repellency
Exposure Efficiency

Untreated Nil Nil 1-2 0

100% PE Nil 12 0 100

P/V [65/35] Nil 6 0 70