Re: Latex Glove Permeability

[alanjack@umich.edu]

Sue and Radsafe,

My first suggestion is to try a new box of gloves.  This may be a bad
batch.  My second inclination is to review the process to determine if
the user is damaging the gloves.  It is real hard for me to say what
your researcherr might be using.  My third suggestion would be to switch
to another type of glove such as the thin nitrile type.  Check the
tables in a Lab Safety Supply (or other vendor) for predicted protection
from all of the solvents in the experiment.

-Alan Jackson

>   Date: Tue, 18 Jun 96 12:37:52 -0500
>   From: "Sue M. Dupre"
>   <DUPRE%PUCC.bitnet@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu> Subject: Latex
>   Glove Permeability
>   To: Multiple recipients of list
>   <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>   
>   One of our researchers has just started using 5 mCi of
>   P-32 as phosphoric acid to synthesize triphosphates.
>   Previously he ordered the triphosphates directly from
>   the vendor in quantities of 0.25 - 1 mCi.  Within the
>   course of the last week, there have been three minor
>   cases of hand contamination in this lab, all of which
>   occurred during use of several millicuries of the
>   synthesized tri- phoshate.  In two of the cases, the
>   researcher was double-gloved and in the third case, the
>   researcher was triple-gloved and working with great
>   care, because she knew about the previous incidents.
>   The researchers had available to them the standard latex
>   surgical gloves normally worn for isotope work. We've
>   contacted the vendor looking for information and
>   insights.  I'm wonder- ing if you've had similar
>   experiences and can offer any thoughts concerning our
>   problem.  Are there compounds normally found in the lab
>   which when used in conjunction with radioactivity will
>   increase latex glove permeability and result in hand
>   contamination?  For example, is it possible that
>   compounds such as RadCon could affect glove
>   permeability?
>   
>   Thanks for any help and advice you can offer.
>   
>   Sue Dupre/Health Physicist/Princeton University
>   dupre@princeton.edu         (609)258-6252