The trend towards nitrile disposable gloves

The disposable glove market has started to see a shift towards the use of nitrile gloves for hand protection instead of alternative options such as latex or vinyl. According to The Glove Company, there has been a steady 10% increase year-on-year towards nitrile gloves. So what is driving the trend?

Globally, there has been an increased demand in rubber gloves — mainly due to improvements in health care, in particular in developing regions of Asia–Pacific — as well as an increased awareness of hygiene and occupational health and safety. But to understand the current shift towards nitrile gloves, it is important to understand the differences between the main glove types used for hand protection in medical, food processing, automotive or other industrial environments.

Latex disposable gloves

Latex has long been the dominant product type in the disposable gloves market due to its elasticity and low cost.^[1] They are made mostly from natural rubber, although since rubber is a raw commodity it is often subject to global price movements. Latex is largely the glove choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance, as well as being highly biodegradable and easily disposed of by incineration.

However, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) says latex allergy in recent years has become an important health concern for workers, especially in healthcare environments.^[2] Symptoms can range from mild to severe, such as swelling, irritation, congestion, shortness of breath or even anaphylaxis, where fatalities have been reported. In the US, as many as 17% of healthcare workers are reportedly sensitised to latex.^[3]

According to The Glove Company, worldwide sales of latex gloves have been on a steady decline over the last six years. They believe one of the biggest disadvantages with latex is the high allergy rates, which can often mean that industries that use latex gloves may have to run two types of gloves for the same task. This rising awareness in latex allergies has led to increased innovation and technology breakthroughs in synthetic variants.

Vinyl disposable gloves

Vinyl is one type of disposable glove that is a synthetic alternative to latex. Vinyl gloves are largely cheap to manufacture and purchase, ensuring they are also a popular market choice. While vinyl does not appear to give off the same allergy sensitivities as latex, The Glove Company stated it has several other drawbacks, which can be a cause for concern.

Vinyl disposable gloves are essentially PVC gloves — the same PVC that is known to create large volumes of toxic chemicals when manufactured, like dioxin and vinyl chlorides. A PVC glove contains around 50–60% PVC, while the other percentage is made up of plasticisers that ensure the PVC is soft enough to wear. The most common plasticiser used is phthalates DEHP, a substance currently under much scrutiny for its harmful effects. The use of bisphenol and benzisothiazolinone in the manufacture of PVC gloves is also known to cause allergic reactions and dermatitis with prolonged use. And unlike nitrile and latex gloves, the PVC glove molecules are not cross-linked, meaning there are more holes in the glove film, which can lead to high levels of bacteria and virus permeation.

Another issue with vinyl gloves is their low biodegradability. The PVC can take decades to break down, or if incinerated, toxic emissions are released. Therefore, while vinyl disposable gloves are a suitable and low-cost alternative for latex allergy sufferers, they have other health and environmental concerns of which to be wary.

Nitrile disposable gloves

According to the ‘Global Rubber Gloves Market: 2014 Edition’ research report, the trend towards synthetic rubber is gaining momentum with nitrile gloves now holding half of the global market.^[4] The report reveals that the number of healthcare facilities going latex-free is on the rise, as glove manufacturers create synthetic products that match the low cost and tactile sensitivity characteristic of latex.

The Glove Company stated that nitrile disposable gloves carry a very low allergy rate of less than 1% of users, and while they have traditionally been more expensive and have not had the level of ‘stretch’ associated with latex gloves, recent improvements like ‘Soft Touch Nitrile’ have helped reduce the gap. Nitrile gloves also have a high chemical and puncture resistance, as well as the same level of biohazard protection as latex gloves. An added benefit is that their biodegradability is almost as good as latex.

It is expected that latex will continue to be a strong choice in the medical field for some time yet and the use of nitrile disposable gloves across all market sectors worldwide will grow strongly in the coming years due to the positive features and minimal drawbacks of nitrile material. The Glove Company believes using vinyl gloves is a short-sighted decision for both the user and the environment, especially with good alternatives available in nitrile and latex at minimal to no additional costs.

Top image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Ravi Tahilramani

[1] Research and Markets, April 2014, ‘Disposable Gloves Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 – 2019’, viewed on 28 August 2015, <http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kgnqhk/disposable_gloves>.

[2] Allergy.org.au, 18 August 2015, ASCIA the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, viewed on 28 August 2015, <http://www.allergy.org.au/health-professionals/hp-information/asthma-and-allergy/latex-allergy>.

[3] Latexallergyresources.org, 2015, ALAA American Latex Allergy Association, viewed on 28 August 2015, <www.latexallergyresources.org>.

[4] Market Reports Online, August 2014, ‘Global Rubber Gloves Market: 2014 Edition’, viewed on 28 August 2015, <http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-rubber-gloves-market-to-see-demand-shift-says-a-2014-research-report-272680211.html>.