Natural rubber latex gloves consistently outperform other glove types in a number of ways, according to testing conducted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

The ASTM develops and provides many voluntary standards that glove manufacturers can elect to follow. These standards help manufacturers demonstrate their products’ performance in a variety of areas such as:

1. Viral penetration: Measures the glove’s ability to resist penetration by liquid containing a particular virus
2. Strength: Evaluates the amount of force a glove can withstand before breaking.
3. Thickness: Measures the thickness of a glove at specific locations, which is important for barrier protection and durability.
4. Water leak: Assesses the glove’s ability to hold a specified amount of water while maintaining acceptable quality levels.

Natural Rubber Latex Gloves Thicker and Stronger
ASTM testing shows a marked difference in the performance of latex compared to other materials like nitrile and vinyl. Latex gloves display significantly more different thickness, strength and elongation or stretchiness. Latex type gloves tested at 0.08 mm for thickness; 14 MPa for tensile strength; and 700 percent for elongation. Tensile strength is the amount of pressure can be applied before rupturing occurs. Nitrile measured 0.05 mm, 12.5 MPa and 500 percent in the same areas, while vinyl scored 0.05 mm, 9 MPa and 300 percent.

Latex Gloves: The Best Option for High-Risk Situations
The ASTM and other organizations have conducted tests to demonstrate how glove products perform in simulated situations. The results are an important indication of how the gloves will hold up in a "real-life" environment where lives can be at stake.

For instance, test results released by the American Journal of Infection Control show that latex is one of the best materials for high-risks situations, including exposure to blood-borne pathogens. The test results indicate that latex gloves have the lowest failure for pin holes during "simulated usage" conditions.

The testing was done on four brands of latex gloves, two brands of nitrile and four brands of vinyl gloves. The gloves were subjected to common clinical activities involving manipulating needles, syringes, IV tubing and blunt objects. Latex gloves had a 0 to 4 percent failure rate; nitrile had a 1 to 3 percent failure rate. The rate for vinyl ranged from 12 to 61 percent.

Improving Latex Gloves
Testing results indicate a serious need to improve the protective quality of latex gloves. This is an important issue because millions of patients get infections each year while hospitalized, with thousands dying as a result, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Latex glove failure can also lead to death in work settings where hazardous chemicals are used.

Case in point: The possibility of a chemical passing through a disposable latex glove is tragically attributed to the June 8, 1997 death of Dartmouth College chemistry professor, Karen E. Wetterhahn. In a letter to Chemical & Engineering News shortly before Dr. Wetterhahn's death, Michael B. Blayney, director of environmental health and safety at Dartmouth, and two other Dartmouth authors, said her severe mercury toxicity was the result of "a single exposure” to dimethylmercury.

"It appears that there was only one acute exposure to dimethylmercury,” Blaney stated in the letter. "The patient recounted spilling one or several drops (estimated to total 0.1 to 0.5 ml) on disposable latex gloves during a transfer procedure in a fume hood while preparing a mercury nuclear magnetic resonance standard".

Blaney said in an interview that there were seven brands of thin-latex or PVC disposable medical type gloves used in the Dartmouth laboratories. All types were tested by Inchcape Testing Services of Cortland, NY. Using ASTM methodology, the lab established "maximum permeation at 15 seconds, the quickest time they could sample." In effect, Dr. Wetterhahn didn't have any protection from the disposable latex gloves, according to Blaney.

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