Electrical conductivity as a test for the integrity of latex gloves

Electrical and ionic penetration of latex gloves, both intact and with holes, was investigated using salt solutions. Also, simultaneous measurements were made of electrical conduction and bacteriophage penetration, and the effect of latex stretching on effective hole size. The presence of holes was apparent, although the onset of current passage was often delayed because they did not wet immediately. The current through intact gloves increased markedly with time. There was little correlation between current and the number of bacteriophage that passed through a hole. The effective size of holes increased faster than would be predicted by the elongation of the latex.