XPS Surface Characterization of Disposable Laboratory Gloves and the Transfer of Glove Components to Other Surfaces

摘要

Surface contamination on analytical samples or other handled materials can come from sources such as human hands, inappropriate packaging materials, airborne dust fallout, contaminated sample handling tools, or contaminated sample holders. An often overlooked source of contamination is disposable laboratory gloves, which are frequently worn for the purpose of protecting handled materials from fingerprints and other contaminants present on bare fingers. However, the gloves themselves may be a source of potential contamination transfer equal to or even greater than bare fingers. This study shows how X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can be used to determine the contaminants present on laboratory gloves and also evaluate the type and amount of contamination transfer from gloves to other surfaces.