- Gloves: Methylene chloride is
known to penetrate neoprene. Appropriate gloving requires two layers:
inner polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gloves for chemical penetration
resistance, and outer neoprene gloves for mechanical durability. The
patient was using neoprene only.
- Respirator: Methylene chloride
is known to saturate vapor cartridges fairly rapidly. Experiments
conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory revealed that
cartridge breakthrough occurs after only 30 minutes exposure to
methylene chloride at 500 ppm, less that 1.5x the concentration the
patient was typically exposed to in this situation. The patient went as
long as 3 weeks between respirator changes.
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