Study on mitigation strategies for heat load induced by wearing personal protective clothing in high-temperature and high-humidity environments

With global warming, the impact of high-temperature and high-humidity environments on human heat load has become increasingly significant, particularly in working scenarios requiring personal protective clothing. This study aims to review heat load issues induced by protective clothing and to explore various mitigation strategies along with recent research advancements, providing a scientific foundation for relevant fields. By systematically reviewing and analyzing pertinent literature, this paper proposes a multidimensional mitigation model for protective clothing heat load and develops a comparative framework for various mitigation strategies. The research encompasses multiple aspects, including optimization of protective clothing fabrics and structural designs, the application of microclimate cooling systems, and other auxiliary mitigation measures, comprehensively addressing the characteristics of different approaches, application contexts, and diverse human thermal comfort requirements. The findings indicate that optimizing the fabrics and structural designs of protective clothing, developing efficient microclimate cooling systems, and incorporating auxiliary measures significantly enhance the internal microenvironment of protective clothing, reduce heat load, and improve thermal comfort. Nevertheless, current solutions present limitations such as high material costs, limited cooling effectiveness, and heavy equipment weight. This study provides systematic theoretical support and practical guidelines for mitigating heat load in protective clothing. Future research should concentrate on intelligent fabrics and adaptive controls, unidirectional moisture transfer technologies, and localized heat and humidity management. Such efforts will contribute to the development of more efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective protective equipment, ultimately providing superior protection for workers operating in extreme environments and thereby enhancing their work efficiency and quality of life.