Dermal Exposure as a Result of Glove Penetration

The goal of my research was to characterize dermal exposure to the hands as a result of glove penetration. Glove penetration is defined as a contaminant entering the glove via splash-back over the glove cuff and/or tearing, puncture, or abrasion of the glove material. To do so, I devised a simple dish-washing simulation during which participants put on nitrile gloves and washed laboratory glassware for 10 minutes using a fluorescein solution contained in a large plastic tub. Following the simulation, gloves were removed and the hands were analyzed for dermal exposure (i.e. fluorescein solution on the hands), which entailed using a fluorometer to determine the mass of dermal contamination and black light image analysis to determine the surface area of contamination. The fluorescein solution fluoresces under black light (as shown in this photographic image), allowing me to then use Adobe Photoshop to determine the surface area of fluorescein contamination on the hands. My research indicates that dermal exposure does occur via glove penetration, and that dermal exposure modeling and glove selection processes must consider this exposure pathway in order to effectively protect worker health and safety.