Comparison of Two Methods Used to Measure Permeation of Glove Materials by a Complex Organic Mixture

Previous studies measuring permeation of liquid chemicals through glove materials by measurement of radiolabeled phenol in a liquid receiving medium were replicated with a method using a flowing gaseous receiving medium in which permeant was measured by a flame ionization detector (FID). The breakthrough times and permeation rates for liquefied coal and toluene permeating polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nitrile rubber, and natural rubber glove specimens were compared. For liquefied coal, the FID method indicated that all glove types exhibited much greater resistance to steady-state permeation (although earlier breakthrough was detected for PVC and natural rubber). For toluene permeation through natural rubber and the two PVC materials, the radiolabeled tracer method indicated greater resistance. Many of the marked differences in observed results are not attributable to instrument sensitivity. When a challenging substance is a complex mixture, large differences in permeation parameters measured by different techniques can be the result of various constituents permeating at different rates. Methods that do not quantify specifically the compounds of toxicological significance may provide misleading information on the degree of protection provided.