1: Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006 Mar 15;63(6):547-56. 

Permeability of 13 different gloves to 13 cytotoxic agents under controlled
dynamic conditions.

Wallemacq PE, Capron A, Vanbinst R, Boeckmans E, Gillard J, Favier B.

Clinical Chemistry Department, University Hospital St. Luc (UHSL).

PURPOSE: The permeability of 13 different gloves to 13 cytotoxic agents under
controlled dynamic conditions is described. METHODS: Thirteen cytotoxic agents
were prepared at the highest concentrations normally encountered by pharmacy
personnel. Four glove types-neoprene, natural rubber latex, nitrile, and
vinyl-were exposed to the cytotoxic agents for 15, 30, and 60 minutes. Tests
were conducted using the middle finger of each glove. Linearity,
reproducibility, and sensitivity were evaluated for each drug tested. Assays
were run using liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and
high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet light (HPLC-UV).
Permeability testing was conducted using an original system designed to evaluate
dynamic constraints, such as rubbing, stretching, and tension. RESULTS:
Linearity by LC/MS/MS and HPLC-UV was confirmed at concentrations up to 1000
ng/mL for all drugs. Most glove materials were permeable at rates below ASTM
recommendations over the one-hour testing period. Vinyl was the most permeable
material. Carmustine permeated the widest variety of materials. Due to the high
sensitivity of the analytic methods, all materials displayed low but significant
permeability for at least one drug after one hour. Higher resistance to
permeation was recorded for all neoprene, some natural rubber latex, and one
nitrile glove. CONCLUSION: Neoprene, natural rubber latex, and nitrile gloves
displayed the highest resistance to permeation of the 13 cytotoxic agents
studied. Additional factors, such as duration of exposure, glove thickness, and
drug liposolubility and molecular weight, also affected permeability.

PMID: 16522891 [PubMed - in process]