Bamboo Fibre Could Protect Against Ultraviolet Rays

Bamboo fibres could come to the rescue of Australians haunted by skin cancer. It is a country where 1200 people die of melanoma each year.

Ms Tarannum Afrin, a PhD candidate with the Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation at the Deakin University Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI), has found the property which gives bamboo its unique sun-blocking characteristics.

Ms Afrin, a former textile engineer who received a judges’ commendation at the University’s Three-Minute Thesis Competition, said that bamboo was an emerging fibre for the textile and medical industries.

Skin Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells. It can develop due to a continuous exposure to sun over the years.

“Manufacturers have long claimed that bamboo products have a range of properties including excellent appearance and feel, natural antibacterial, UV-shielding and moisture-controlling characteristics,” she said.

“But many of these claims have not been proven scientifically. We know bamboo is 60 per cent better than cotton at blocking the sun’s UV rays.

“My research identified the component in bamboo which gives it its UV qualities and this research will be published shortly.

“When you take the bamboo plant and make fibre out of it there is also a challenge in retaining the structure of the bamboo which gives it its moisture wicking properties.”

Ms Afrin said while bamboo was attractive as an alternative natural eco friendly fibre for clothing the method of processing used chemicals and wasn’t friendly to the environment.

Types of Ultraviolet Radiation
Ultra violet radiation is the basis of its effect on human health and environment. Ultra Violet Radiation is classified into three types they are UV- A (long wave), UV-B (medium wave) ,UV C (short wave).

“The process we are developing allows us to process the plant into a fibre in an environmentally friendly way while retaining the UV qualities, the wicking and anti-bacterial properties,” she said.

Ms Afrin said bamboo fibres provided a promising alternative to other natural fibres like cotton and silk which were labour and resource intensive.

Eco-Friendly Bamboo Keyboard Gaining Popularity
Bamboo keyboards are at rage in China, since they provide a more environment-friendly alternative to the usual keyboard made of plastic.

“Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and grows to its maximum height in about three months and reaches maturity in three to four years,” she said.

“It can grow up to one metre over night and as a result spreads rapidly across large areas."

“The yield from an acre of bamboo is 10 times greater than that from cotton.”

Ms Afrin said bamboo also didn’t need pesticides, chemical weeding, insecticides, and fungicide to grow.

“Unlike cotton, bamboo needs no irrigation.”

Source-Medindia