Soo Jhy-Charm, Portnoff Lee, Bickson Joseph, Fisher Edward M
Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, United States.
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Pittsburgh, PA 15236, United States.
Ann Work Expo Health. 2024 Sep 27;68(8):811-819. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxae058.
Protective clothing standards, such as test methods published by ASTM International, play an integral role in ensuring the performance of personal protective equipment. The standard tests are not without limitations and are periodically reviewed and often updated. Some tests may not be reflective of in-use conditions. A new test cell was designed using sanitary fixtures to evaluate the effect of glove stretch on barrier performance using fluorescein solution as the challenge agent for enhanced visualization and fluorometer detection. Domed-shaped and flat screens were developed to permit and limit glove stretch within the test cell. The barrier performance of glove swatches was evaluated for both stretched and unstretched states. Latex, nitrile, and vinyl glove models of various thicknesses were evaluated. The tests were conducted following pressure and time parameters specified in ASTM F903, ASTM F1670, and ASTM F1671. Fluorescein solution movement, which may occur through penetration, was measured using a fluorometer. Glove stretch caused a reduction in glove thickness ranging from 16% to 40%. Overall, 21 sample failures were found (16.7%; n = 126) regardless of test condition. Nitrile gloves provided better barrier efficacy with the lowest failure rates (2.38%; 1 failure out of 42) compared to latex (19.4%; 7 failures out of 36) and vinyl gloves (27.1%; 13 failures out of 48). Differences in failure rates between stretched and unstretched gloves were insignificant; however, the latex material showed a 2.5 times increase in failures when stretched compared to unstretched. The new test apparatus was able to differentiate between the barrier performance of different glove materials. The use of a domed screen allowed the gloves to stretch, a condition that better represents the state of gloves when in use. Analysis of samples collected from the glove surface opposite to the exposure may provide a way to assess chemical permeation in addition to penetration.
防护服标准，如美国材料与试验协会（ASTM International）发布的测试方法，在确保个人防护装备的性能方面发挥着不可或缺的作用。标准测试并非没有局限性，会定期进行审查且常常更新。有些测试可能无法反映实际使用情况。设计了一个新的测试单元，使用卫生洁具，以荧光素溶液作为挑战剂来评估手套拉伸对屏障性能的影响，以便增强可视化效果并通过荧光计进行检测。开发了圆顶形和平板屏幕，以允许和限制测试单元内手套的拉伸。对不同厚度的乳胶、丁腈和乙烯基手套样本在拉伸和未拉伸状态下的屏障性能进行了评估。测试按照ASTM F903、ASTM F1670和ASTM F1671规定的压力和时间参数进行。使用荧光计测量可能因渗透而发生的荧光素溶液移动情况。手套拉伸导致手套厚度减少了16%至40%。总体而言，无论测试条件如何，共发现21次样本失效（16.7%；n = 126）。与乳胶手套（19.4%；36次中有7次失效）和乙烯基手套（27.1%；48次中有13次失效）相比，丁腈手套的屏障效果更好，故障率最低（2.38%；42次中有1次失效）。拉伸和未拉伸手套之间的故障率差异不显著；然而，乳胶材料在拉伸时的故障率比未拉伸时增加了2.5倍。新的测试装置能够区分不同手套材料的屏障性能。使用圆顶屏幕可使手套拉伸，这种情况更能代表手套在使用时的状态。对从与暴露面相对的手套表面收集的样本进行分析，除了渗透情况外，还可能提供一种评估化学物质渗透的方法。
