Resistance of Gloves to Permeation by 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid (2,4-D)

A total of 20 types of gloves comprising industrial, household and examination type were studied for their resistance to permeation by the herbicide, 2,4- dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). The experiments were conducted according to the recommendations of the ASTM F-739. The test chemical used was a commercial 2,4-D formulation (D-AMINE 720), while the collection medium was deionized water. The mass of 2,4-D that permeated across the glove barrier was monitored at predetermined time intervals using a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) unit. o-Acetysalicylic acid was employed as internal standard for the HPLC determinations. Chemical resistance of the gloves were evaluated from their breakthrough times and permeation rates. The glove materials were determined using FTIR either in the transmission mode (for thin gloves) or using attenuated total reflection (ATR) for thicker gloves. Permeation results, on the whole, indicate that nitrile is a superior material in resisting the permeation of 2,4-D even after 8 hours of continuous exposure.