[Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?

Thu Feb 23 02:58:05 CST 2012

But the gloves in that Ansell list are reusable, whereas I suppose that you mean the disposable Kimberley-Clark gloves? The thickness would be very different in that case. And I wouldn't be able to mount a slide with thick, re-use gloves. :)

In any case, the doctor for my professional yearly medical exam always tells me to only use nitrile gloves in combination with xylene, and that xylene will get through after a few minutes. So I just avoid getting xylene on my hands altogether by using forceps to handle wet slides while coverslipping.
---
Jonathan Cremer
Laboratory Technician
Gastro-enterologie

KUL CDG Bus 811; Labo Experimentele Immunologie; Herestraat 49; 3000 Leuven; Belgium
________________________________________
Van: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] namens Tony Henwood (SCHN) [tony.henwood <@t> health.nsw.gov.au]
Verzonden: donderdag 23 februari 2012 1:56
Aan: 'Hilary Smith'; Debbie Faichney; Rene J Buesa; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Jenny Vega
Onderwerp: RE: [Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?

Wow,

That's interesting; KIMBERLY-CLARK Nitrile Gloves are not resistant to xylene, whereas Ansell's Nitrile gloves are (see http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_7thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf)

Regards
Tony Henwood JP, MSc, BAppSc, GradDipSysAnalys, CT(ASC), FFSc(RCPA)
Laboratory Manager & Senior Scientist
Tel: 612 9845 3306
Fax: 612 9845 3318
the children's hospital at westmead
Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead
Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, AUSTRALIA

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Hilary Smith
Sent: Thursday, 23 February 2012 1:52 AM
To: Debbie Faichney; Rene J Buesa; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Jenny Vega
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?

You might want to go to something with even greater chemical resistance - thin nitrile is not recommended for use with xylene:

http://www.kcproductselector.com/~/media/RelatedMedia/PDFs/Gloves/K2365_09_01_SN%20Chem%20Guide_v10.ashx

According to our xylene MSDS: "The substance may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, mucous membranes, bone marrow, central nervous system (CNS). Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."

I would definitely use gloves if I were you.

Hilary

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Debbie Faichney
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 8:15 AM
To: Rene J Buesa; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Jenny Vega
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?

If you can get a hold of them, try using Nitrile gloves as these have a higher chemical resistance than latex.  I use them and change every 30 minutes to avoid breakthrough.

Debbie Faichney
Institute of Aquaculture
University of Stirling
UK

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa
Sent: 22 February 2012 13:09
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Jenny Vega
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?

There is no evidence in the literature about skin cancer produced by xylene, although dermatitis are well documented.
Regardless you should use gloves whenever your hands can get in contact with any chemical as a good safety practice. If your colleagues do not want to use gloves, that is their prerogative, as is yours to wear them.
René J.

--- On Tue, 2/21/12, Jenny Vega <histotech411 <@t> gmail.com> wrote:

From: Jenny Vega <histotech411 <@t> gmail.com>
Subject: [Histonet] Does xylene cause skin cancer?
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 10:17 PM

I am asking this because in my job we mount slides by hand, and my coworkers don't like to use gloves because it leaves a residue of latex in the back of the slides. I really don't feel comfortable mounting without gloves because I heard that xyelene can cause cancer. Some people I know personally has told me that this is not possible, but I read in some places that xylene could a possible carcinogen.

I have already gotten contact with xylene in my hands a couple of times and I am worried.

Thanks.
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