Determination of the Attenuation Properties of Laboratory Gloves Exposed to an Ultraviolet Transillu

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Determination of the Attenuation Properties of
Laboratory Gloves Exposed to an Ultraviolet
Transilluminator

• Edward A. Gazdik, Frank S. Rosenthal, Wei-Hsung
  Wang
• Purdue University School of Health Sciences

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Background

• Researchers visualize nucleic acids following
• gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide
• (EtBr) staining with a UV transilluminator

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UVR Regions

• UVA (315-400nm)
• UVB (280-315nm)
• UVC (180-280nm)
• Applications
• Sanitation
• Medical
• Industrial
• Criminology
• Laboratory/Research

Image of the Sun taken at UV wavelength
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Purpose of Study

• Measure the UVR (UVA and actinic) transmission
• through 9 laboratory gloves using 2 different
• methods
• Radiometer
• Spectrophotometer
• Quantify any change in UVR transmission with
• modified gloves
• 30 stretched
• Wet with saline
• 24 hour treated with saline
• Provide a hazard assessment for subjects using UV
• transilluminators

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Glove Material

• Preliminary investigation of Purdues research
  facilities
• Gloves Studied
• Glove Color
• Clear, White, Green, Blue, Purple

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Actinic and UVA Detector Response to Source
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Radiometer Method Setup
Gigahertz-Optik Radiometer with UVA and Actinic
Detectors
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Vinyl Gloves -- Radiometer Data



Bars represent std error and a is significance
at 0.05 level
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Vinyl Gloves -- Radiometer Data


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Nitrile and Latex -- Radiometer Data





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Nitrile and Latex -- Radiometer Data




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Wetting, Radiometer Data


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Wetting, Radiometer Data

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Spectrophotometer Method

• A spectrophotometer was used to measure the UV
  transmission vs. wavelength of glove material.
• Spectrophotometer data can be used to predict
  effective attenuation for different
• UV sources.

Scenario 1 Un-stretched glove
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Comparing Methods Spectrophotometer to
Radiometer

Transmitted UVR Predicted
Transmission ----------------------

Incident UVR

? E? S? ?? T?
----------------------
? E? S? ??
Where E? Spectral source
irradiance S? Relative spectral
detector response ?? Band width in
nm T? Spectrophotometer transmission
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Vinyl, Spectrophotometer Data
Averaged from 3 Trials of each Brand
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Nitrile, Spectrophotometer Data
Averaged from 3 Trials of each Brand
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Latex, Spectrophotometer Data
Averaged from 3 Trials of each Brand
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Variation Within Same Brand
Radiometer Data 74 UVA and 14 Actinic
Transmission
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Comparison of MethodsSpectrophotometer to
Radiometer
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Radiometer and Spectrophotometer Optics
Spectrophotometer
Scattered Light (Not Detected)
Incident Light
Transmitted Light
Scattered Light (Not Detected)
Spectrophotometer Detector
Glove Sample (Side View)
Radiometer
Incident Light
RadiometerDetector
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Experiment Distancing the Sample from the Detector
Detector
Detector
Glove Sample (Side View)
Glove Sample
? Copper Tube ?
Opaque material
Transilluminator
TRANSILLUMINATOR
TRANSILLUMINATOR
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Human Subject Survey

• 19 subjects
• Average use
• 3.7 days per week (1-7)
• 7.8 minutes per day (1-18)
• Glove use
• 100 (16 latex, 3 nitrile)

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Survey of Actinic UV Exposure in 19
Transilluminator Users
Inc ExpA tB Allowable time, with
specified gloveC mw/cm2 min none vinyl
nitrile latex 0.4 1.7 1- 18 2- 8 s
11-52 s 2-11 h 2 8 h
AActinic Exposure at the surface of
transilluminator BActual duration of use per
day CAllowable exposure time according to the
ACGIH TLV, assuming worker wears specified glove
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Survey of UVA Exposure in 19 Transilluminator
Users
Potential
ExposureC Inc ExpA tB Number
overexposed/ total subjects mw/cm2 min
none vinyl nitrile latex 0.1 4.8
1- 18 10/19 10/19 0/19 0/19
AUVA Exposure at the surface of
transilluminator BActual duration of use per
day CSkin exposure, compared to the ACIGH TLV,
for a worker wearing the specified glove.
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Conclusions

• Vinyl gloves offered the least UVR protection
  averaging 73 UVA and 13 actinic transmission
  latex and nitrile both averaged less than 1
  transmission for both detectors.
• 30 stretching increased UVA transmittance 6,
  52 and 40 and increased actinic transmission
  7, 52 and 98 for vinyl, nitrile and latex
  respectively.
• All gloves but Oak vinyl increased in UVR
  transmission when wet.
• Radiometer and spectrophotometer agreed that
  vinyl gloves are least protective. But
  spectrophotometer method was inaccurate due to
  scattered light.