ASTM Committee D11 Has Developed a New Standard for Measuring Chemical Allergens in Medical Gloves

It has been known for some years that residual accelerators used as part of the curative system in medical gloves could be a leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis in health care workers and other users.

A new ASTM International standard has been developed to allow rubber glove manufacturers to monitor the level of residual accelerators in their end products so that they could make manufacturing changes to reduce the allergen levels.

The new standard, D7558, Test Method for Colorimetric/Spectrophotometric Procedure to Quantify Extractable Chemical Dialkyldithiocarbamate, Thiuram and Mercaptobenzothiazole Accelerators in Natural Rubber Latex and Nitrile Gloves, was developed by Subcommittee D11.40 on Consumer Rubber Products, part of ASTM International Committee D11 on Rubber. Not only would D7558 be useful to medical glove manufacturers, but also to dermatologists and many end users of medical gloves.