FiberTect is an invention from the Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech University and has been taken to market by First Line Technology (FLT), informs Dr Seshadri Ramkumar.
Nonwoven wipe to help with safety at FIFA World Cup Football games.
The 2026 FIFA world cup is considered to be world’s biggest sporting event with 48 teams competing in games to be played in 16 cities spread over three countries. Eleven of those venues are in the United States and the U S government has invested about $one billion towards safety, and emergency preparations through grants from agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FiberTect is an invention from the Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech University and has been taken to market by First Line Technology (FLT). FLT has taken the product to multiple areas such as national defense, medical, and emergency preparedness.
According to First Line Technology, local agencies and cities have procured FiberTect wipes as part of FIFA world cup safety preparations and emergency preparedness.
Dry decontamination procedure has been found to have technical and logistical advantages over wet decontamination and is vital for immediate toxic chemical decontamination. United States Army has shown the wipes can remove fine particles that may be synthetic opioids and can be used in sub zero temperatures.
“One of the greatest strengths of Dry Decon is that it gives responders the ability to act immediately. By reducing contamination in the first few minutes following an exposure, responders can improve outcomes, reduce secondary contamination risks, and bridge the gap until more comprehensive decontamination resources are available,” stated Frank Roberts, Senior Training Specialist at FLT
In the recent International Fire Chiefs Association Hazmat conference in Baltimore, USA, Frank Roberts showed how dry decontamination can be used as practical field capability for mass casualty scenarios.
“Our key messaging at the conference was related to chemical, biological, and radiological contamination response at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, the upcoming America 250 celebrations, the LA Olympics, and other special events such as sporting events, races, concerts, political gatherings, etc. If there ever was a mass contamination incident at one of these events the only practical way to rapidly perform immediate decontamination of large numbers of people with limited first responders is victim self-decontamination using dry absorbents such as FiberTect,” stated Corey Collings, Director of Technical and Training at FLT.
Dry decontamination procedure using absorbents such as FiberTect is no longer viewed by the user community as an alternative to wet protocols, but a necessary first step towards saving lives and avoiding causalities.
FiberTect is a model for University-Industry collaboration which has translated laboratory research into a life-saving product.
Now, it is finding applications in global events such as FIFA world cup games.
About the author:
Dr Seshadri Ramkumar is a Professor, Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory in Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA. You can contact him on Email: s.ramkumar@ttu.edu