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Michaels BS, Ayers T, Brooks-McLaughlin J, McLaughlin RJ, Sandoval-Warren K, Schlenker C, Ronaldson L, Ardagh S. Potential for Glove Risk Amplification via Direct Physical, Chemical, and Microbiological Contamination. J Food Prot 2024; 87:100283. [PMID: 38679200 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
This review focuses on the potential direct physical, chemical, and microbiological contamination from disposable gloves when utilized in food environments, inclusive of the risks posed to food products as well as worker safety. Unrecognized problems endemic to glove manufacturing were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to high demand, increased focus on PPE performance, availability, supply chain instability, and labor shortages. Multiple evidence-based reports of contamination, toxicity, illness, deaths, and related regulatory action linked to contaminated gloves in food and healthcare have highlighted problems indicative of systemic glove industry shortcomings. The glove manufacturing process was diagramed with sources and pathways of contamination identified, indicating weak points with documented occurrences detailed. Numerous unsafe ingredients can introduce chemical contaminants, potentially posing risks to food and to glove users. Microbial hazards present significant challenges to overall glove safety as contaminants appear to be introduced via polluted water sources or flawed glove manufacturing processes, resulting in increased risks within food and healthcare environments. Frank and opportunistic pathogens along with food spoilage organisms can be introduced to foods and wearers. When the sources and pathways of glove-borne contamination were explored, it was found that physical failures play a pivotal role in the release of sweat build-up, liquefaction of chemical residues, and incubation of microbial contaminants from hands and gloves. Thus, with glove physical integrity issues, including punctures in new, unused gloves that can develop into significant rips and tears, not only can direct physical food contamination occur but also chemical and microbiological contamination can find their way into food. Enhanced regulatory requirements for Acceptable Quality Limits of food-grade gloves, and the establishment of appropriate bioburden standards would enhance safety in food applications. Based on the information provided, together with a false sense of security associated with glove use, the unconditional belief in glove chemical and microbiological purity may be unfounded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry S Michaels
- B. Michaels Group Inc., 487 West River Road, Palatka, FL 32177, USA.
| | - Troy Ayers
- Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories Inc., Des Moines, IA 50321, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lynda Ronaldson
- Eagle Protect PBC, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, USA; Eagle Protect Ltd. Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
| | - Steve Ardagh
- Eagle Protect PBC, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, USA; Eagle Protect Ltd. Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
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2
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Abdul Latif M, Mustafa A, Keong LC, Hamid A. Chromolaena odorata layered-nitrile rubber polymer transdermal patch enhanced wound healing in vivo. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295381. [PMID: 38466676 PMCID: PMC10927106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The objective is to investigate the healing efficacy of a Chromolaena odorata layered-nitrile rubber transdermal patch on excision wound healing in rats. Wounds were induced in Sprague-Dawley rats and were later treated as follows: wound A, the negative control, received no treatment (NC); wound B, the negative control with an empty nitrile rubber patch (NC-ERP); wound C, treated with a C. odorata layered-nitrile rubber patch (CO-NRP); and wound D, the positive control with Solcoseryl gel with a nitrile rubber patch (PC-SG-NRP). After 1, 3, 6, 10, and 14 days, the rats were sacrificed and analyzed for wound contraction, protein content, hexosamine, and uronic acid levels. Macroscopic observation showed enhanced wound healing in wounds treated with CO-NRP with a wound contraction percentage significantly higher (p<0.05) on days 6 and 10 compared to those treated with NC-ERP. Similarly, protein, hexosamine, and uronic acid contents were also significantly higher (p<0.05) in CO-NRP-treated wounds when compared with wounds treated with NC-ERP. Histological findings showed denser collagen deposition and faster granulation tissue formation in wounds treated with CO-NRP. From the results obtained, it is concluded that the C. odorata layered-nitrile rubber transdermal patch was effective in healing skin wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazlyzam Abdul Latif
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies (CORE), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Science Program, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Asrul Mustafa
- Latex Science and Technology Unit, Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), MRB Experimental Station Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Lee Chee Keong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Science Program, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Asmah Hamid
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies (CORE), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Science Program, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Lovato MJ, Del Valle LJ, Puiggalí J, Franco L. Performance-Enhancing Materials in Medical Gloves. J Funct Biomater 2023; 14:349. [PMID: 37504844 PMCID: PMC10381443 DOI: 10.3390/jfb14070349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Medical gloves, along with masks and gowns, serve as the initial line of defense against potentially infectious microorganisms and hazardous substances in the health sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical gloves played a significant role, as they were widely utilized throughout society in daily activities as a preventive measure. These products demonstrated their value as important personal protection equipment (PPE) and reaffirmed their relevance as infection prevention tools. This review describes the evolution of medical gloves since the discovery of vulcanization by Charles Goodyear in 1839, which fostered the development of this industry. Regarding the current market, a comparison of the main properties, benefits, and drawbacks of the most widespread types of sanitary gloves is presented. The most common gloves are produced from natural rubber (NR), polyisoprene (IR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), polychloroprene (CR), polyethylene (PE), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Furthermore, the environmental impacts of the conventional natural rubber glove manufacturing process and mitigation strategies, such as bioremediation and rubber recycling, are addressed. In order to create new medical gloves with improved properties, several biopolymers (e.g., poly(vinyl alcohol) and starch) and additives such as biodegradable fillers (e.g., cellulose and chitin), reinforcing fillers (e.g., silica and cellulose nanocrystals), and antimicrobial agents (e.g., biguanides and quaternary ammonium salts) have been evaluated. This paper covers these performance-enhancing materials and describes different innovative prototypes of gloves and coatings designed with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Lovato
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est-EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis J Del Valle
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est-EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Research in Nano-Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C', c/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Puiggalí
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est-EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Research in Nano-Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C', c/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lourdes Franco
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est-EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/Eduard Maristany 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Research in Nano-Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Campus Sud, Edifici C', c/Pasqual i Vila s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Gedik A, Ozcan O, Ozcanan S. Recycling COVID-19 health care wastes in bitumen modification: a case of disposable medical gloves. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:74977-74990. [PMID: 37209343 PMCID: PMC10199443 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27488-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Disposable medical gloves (DMGs) have long been used to mitigate the risk of direct exposure to diverse microorganisms and body fluids; hence, they are a critical weapon to protect patients and healthcare staff from infectious diseases. Measures to control the spread of COVID-19 have sparked the production of an excessive number of DMGs, most of which are eventually being disposed of in landfills. Untreated DMGs in landfills do not only pose a direct risk of transmitting coronavirus and other pathological germs but also pollute air, water, and soil dramatically. As a healthier alternative, recycling discarded polymer-rich DMGs into bitumen modification is considered to be a prospective waste management strategy applicable to the asphalt pavement industry. In this study, this conjecture is tested by examining two common DMGs - latex gloves and vinyl gloves - at four different percentages (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% by weight). The morphological characteristics of DMG-modified specimens were inspected by using a high-definition scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). A wide range of laboratory tests including penetration, softening point temperature, ductility, and elastic recovery were undertaken to evaluate the impact of waste gloves on the conventional engineering properties of bitumen. Moreover, viscoelastic behavior and modification processing were studied by conducting the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Test results have revealed the outstanding potential of recycled DMG waste for modifying neat asphalt binder. More specifically, bitumens modified with 4% latex glove and 3% vinyl glove were seen as capable of superiorly withstanding permanent deformations caused by heavy axle loads at high service temperatures. Furthermore, it has been shown that 1.2 tons of modified binder would embed approximately 4000 pairs of recycled DMGs. This study shows that DMG waste can be used as a viable modifier, which would help open a new avenue for mitigating the environmental pollution arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulgazi Gedik
- Darende Bekir Ilicak Vocational School, Construction Technology Program, Malatya Turgut Ozal University, Malatya, 44700 Turkey
| | - Ozgur Ozcan
- Department of Civil Engineering, M. Emin Acar Campus, Sirnak University, Sirnak, 73000 Turkey
| | - Sedat Ozcanan
- Department of Civil Engineering, M. Emin Acar Campus, Sirnak University, Sirnak, 73000 Turkey
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Wang Z, An C, Lee K, Chen X, Zhang B, Yin J, Feng Q. Physicochemical change and microparticle release from disposable gloves in the aqueous environment impacted by accelerated weathering. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 832:154986. [PMID: 35395312 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The explosive growth of disposable gloves usage in cities around the world has posed a considerable risk to municipal solid management and disposal during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of the environmental awareness leads to glove waste being discarded randomly and ending up in the soil and/or the ocean ecosystem. To explore the physicochemical changes and environmental behaviors of disposable glove wastes in the aqueous environment, three kinds of glove (latex, nitrile and vinyl) were investigated. The results showed that the physicochemical characteristics of disposable gloves made of different materials were altered to different degrees by UV weathering. Nitrile gloves were more stable than latex and vinyl gloves after being exposed to weathering conditions. Although the chemical structures were not clearly demonstrated through FTIR after weathering, the SEM results showed significant microscopic changes on the surfaces of the gloves. Analysis of the leachate results showed that UV weathered gloves released leachable substances, including microparticles, organic matter, and heavy metals. Latex gloves were more likely to release microparticles and other substances into the water after UV weathering. The release of microparticles from gloves can also be impacted by sand abrasion. The appropriate strategy needs to be developed to mitigate the environmental impact caused by the discarded gloves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada.
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecosystem Science, Ottawa, K1A 0E6, Canada
| | - Xiujuan Chen
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollutant Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University, St. John's, A1B 3X5, Canada
| | - Baiyu Zhang
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollutant Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University, St. John's, A1B 3X5, Canada
| | - Jianan Yin
- Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities, University of Regina, Regina, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Qi Feng
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada
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Xu Z, Zhang Y, Li A, Wang J, Wang G, He Q. Research progress on compounding agent and mechanical test method of fluororubber. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Xu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang China
- Key Laboratory of Aeronautical Special Rubber Anyang Institute of Technology Anyang China
| | - Yanbin Zhang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang China
| | - Anling Li
- Key Laboratory of Aeronautical Special Rubber Anyang Institute of Technology Anyang China
| | - Jiwen Wang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang China
| | - Guangfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aeronautical Special Rubber Anyang Institute of Technology Anyang China
| | - Qiang He
- Key Laboratory of Aeronautical Special Rubber Anyang Institute of Technology Anyang China
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Jędruchniewicz K, Ok YS, Oleszczuk P. COVID-19 discarded disposable gloves as a source and a vector of pollutants in the environment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 417:125938. [PMID: 34010776 PMCID: PMC8076738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The appearance of the virus SARS-CoV-2 at the end of 2019 and its spreading all over the world has caused global panic and increase of personal protection equipment usage to protect people against infection. Increased usage of disposable protective gloves, their discarding to random spots and getting to landfills may result in significant environmental pollution. The knowledge concerning possible influence of gloves and potential of gloves debris on the environment (water, soil, etc.), wildlife and humans is crucial to predict future consequences of disposable gloves usage caused by the pandemic. This review focuses on the possibility of chemical release (heavy metals and organic pollutants) from gloves and gloves materials, their adsorptive properties in terms of contaminants accumulation and effects of gloves degradation under environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Jędruchniewicz
- Department of Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Yong Sik Ok
- Korea Biochar Research Center, APRU Sustainable Waste Management Program and Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Patryk Oleszczuk
- Department of Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.
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Potential Cultivation of Lactobacillus pentosus from Human Breastmilk with Rapid Monitoring through the Spectrophotometer Method. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8080902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study focused on the development of a new method to determine the lag phase of Lactobacillus in breast milk which was attained during the 1st, 3rd, and 6th month (M1, M3, and M6). The colonies’ phylogenetic analysis, derived from the 16S rRNA gene sequences, was evaluated with genus Lactobacillus pentosus and achieved a similarity value of 99%. Raman spectroscopy in optical densities of 600 nm (OD600) were used for six consecutive days to observe the changes of the cell growth rate. The values of OD600 were well fitted with the regression model. From this work, M1 was found to be the longest lag phase in 18 h, and it was 17% to 27% longer compared to M3 and M6, respectively. However, the samples of M3 and M6 showed the shortest duration in reaching 0.5 of OD600 nm (16 h) which was enhanced by 80% and 96% compared to M1, respectively. These studies will be of significance when applied in determining the bacteria growth curve and in assessing the growth behavior for the strain in human breast milk.
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