Journal Article

Disposable gloves: An innate source of transferable chemical residues

Gee, William J.

2023

Overview

As workers in medicine, food science, and advanced manufacturing have learned, pristine disposable gloves are an innate source of chemical contamination from the moment they are first donned. Given the typically low extent of chemical contamination on the surface of gloves post-manufacture, many fields overlook, or simply discount, this source of transferable chemical evidence. However, forensic science should not adopt this approach. Instead, the trace chemical signatures left after handling objects while wearing different brands and types of disposable gloves could provide new avenues of forensic intelligence when assessing crime scenes. Similarly, an appreciation of the potential for disposable gloves to transfer innate chemical residues is an important consideration when surface analyses of evidence are envisioned. This review summarises past reports of chemical transference originating from pristine gloves drawn from the fields of medicine, food science, and material science, as well as the few examples highlighting the implications of such events for forensic investigations. Correlations between the chemical identities of the contaminants and the material of glove manufacture are provided here where known, with energy-intensive chemical extraction of glove material, and passive transference of chemical residues through simple contact, both explored. Finally, discussions pertaining to the implications of disposable glove residues, coupled with opportunities for future research, are outlined. •The surfaces of pristine disposable gloves bear trace amounts of native chemical residues.•Many scientific disciplines have characterized these glovemark residues, as collated here.•As prolific users of disposable gloves, forensic scientists should be aware of this source of contamination.•Analysing the chemical residues left by gloves could provide forensic intelligence about the wearer.•Opportunities and areas needing further research are outlined in relation to glovemark evidence.

• Publisher: Elsevier B.V,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Biometric identification / Biometrics / Burglary / Chemical contaminants / Chemical contamination / Chemical extraction / Chemical pollution / Chemical residues / Contaminants / Contamination / Crime / Criminals / Food contamination / Food contamination & poisoning / Food processing / food science / Forensic chemistry / Forensic science / Forensic sciences / Glove Contamination / Glove marks / Glove prints / Glove residues / Gloves / manufacturing / materials science / medicine / Residues / Rubber / Solvent extraction processes / Trace evidence