Fig. 4
A schematic diagram of the permeation mechanism of antineoplastic agents through nitrile medical gloves. Two mechanisms (absorption and diffusion) were involved in the permeation of antineoplastic agents through medical gloves. After adding the antineoplastic agent solutions onto the upper side of the medical gloves, antineoplastic agents were absorbed into the interface between the glove material and the antineoplastic agent solution. Then, the absorbed antineoplastic agents were diffused in the medical glove material depending on the concentration gradient. Finally, antineoplastic agents were released from the interface between the glove material and receptor solution. Assuming that the diffusion rate constant of antineoplastic agents in the glove material was low, the concentration of the antineoplastic agent in vicinity of the interface between the glove material and receptor solution would increase slowly after the start of the permeation experiments. Thus, permeation rates (PRs) and apparent permeation clearance (CLP,app) values also increased in a time-dependent manner until diffusion reached an equilibrium state. This indicats that CLP,app would depended on the diffusion rate constant, which depends on the molecular weight (MW). After diffusion reached an equilibrium state (i.e., after the concentration of the antineoplastic agent in the glove material was uniformized), CLP,app would be no longer time-dependent, but instead absorption rate constant-dependent