Assessment of skin exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide and methyl ethylketone through chemical protective gloves and decontamination of gloves for reuse purposes

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 409; no. 6; pp. 1024 - 1032
• Main Authors: Chao, Keh-Ping, Wang, Ping, Chen, Chen-Peng, Tang, Ping-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.02.2011; [Amsterdam; New York]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: ASTM F739; Biological and medical sciences; Butanones - chemistry; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Decontamination; Decontamination - methods; Dermal absorption; Desorption; Dimethylformamide; Formamides - chemistry; Gloves; Gloves, Protective; Heating; Humans; Materials Testing - instrumentation; Materials Testing - methods; Medical sciences; Neoprene - chemistry; Penetration; Permeability; Permeation; Protective; Protective coefficient; Reuse; Skin - chemistry; Skin Tests - instrumentation; Skin Tests - methods; Solvents; Solvents - chemistry; Synthetic leather industry; Toxicology; Waste Management - methods; Asia; Taiwan; Synthetic leather industry; ASTM F739; Protective coefficient; Dermal absorption; Human; Glove; Chemical compound; Reuse; Occupational exposure; Percutaneous route; Prevention; Organic solvent; Decontamination; N,N-Dimethylformamide; Leather industry; Skin; Occupational medicine; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.11.034

N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and methyl ethylketone (MEK) are the hazardous chemicals commonly used in the synthetic leather industries. Although chemical protective gloves provide adequate skin exposure protection to workers in these industries, there is currently no clear guideline or understanding with regard to the use duration of these gloves. In this study, the permeation of DMF/MEK mixture through neoprene gloves and the desorption of chemicals from contaminated gloves were conducted using the ASTM F739 cell. The acceptable use duration time of the gloves against DMF/MEK permeation was estimated by assuming a critical body burden of chemical exposure as a result of dermal absorption. In a re-exposure cycle of 5 days, decontamination of the gloves by aeration at 25 °C was found to be inadequate in a reduction of breakthrough time as compared to a new unexposed glove. However, decontamination of the gloves by heating at 70 or 100 °C showed that the protective coefficient of the exposed gloves had similar levels of resistance to DMF/MEK as that of new gloves. Implications of this study include an understanding of the use duration of neoprene gloves and proper decontamination of chemical protective gloves for reuse. ► Desorption of residual DMF and MEK from the used chemical protective glove occurred. ►The Dermal Dose model was developed to estimate the duration of safe use of gloves against DMF and MEK. ►This study provided information on the decontamination of the used gloves by heating.