Investigation of Volatile Nitrosamines in Disposable Protective Gloves

Laboratory personnel of Eastern Regional Research Center, USDA, are required to wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves for certain analyses involving nitrosamines. In order to assess possible exposure of the wearers of these gloves, a limited survey was carried out on the volatile nitrosamine content in disposable protective gloves. Six latex gloves, nonsterile and sterile, surgical and nonsurgical, from four companies, and four vinyl gloves from three companies were analyzed. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) were the primary nitrosamines detected. Five of the six latex gloves contained 37–329 ppb NDMA and 115–1879 ppb NPIP, all confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS); one glove contained no detectable trace of NDMA or NPIP. Of the four vinyl gloves, one contained 19 ppb NDMA and 759 ppb NPIP, both confirmed by GC-MS, one contained 6 ppb apparent NDMA and no detectable level of NPIP, and the remaining two contained no detectable levels of NDMA and NPIP.