Latex Gloves, Latex Allergies, Latex-Free Gloves, Latex Proteins

Disposable Latex Gloves

• The History of Latex Gloves
• Why Use Latex Gloves?
• What's In Latex Gloves?
• The Problem with Latex Gloves
• Latex Glove Allergies
• Powder Free Latex Gloves
• Home Grown Latex: Allergy-Free!
• Latex Gloves and the IRS
• Party on with Latex Gloves!
• Latex Exam Gloves and MRSA

Did you know that processed sap from rubber trees is our second largest raw material import? Second only to petroleum in import size, we use this product in everything from building supplies to latex gloves. Natural rubber is present in so many of our everyday objects that we don’t give its source a second thought. Ironically, because of its myriad presence and usefulness, our population has a growing allergy response to the proteins in the latex.

During WWII, the powerful demand for this Asian natural resource put our country in a compromised position. To offset the latex shortage, we turned to an interesting plant that could be grown in the American Southwest, a lowly shrub called guayule (pronounced “why yoo lee”). A natural rubber was processed from the guayule bark. One ton of latex could be harvested from one acre of land. However, at the end of the war with world latex crops once again accessible, the demand for domestic guayule dissipated and guayule cultivation came to an end.

But an interesting facet of guayule has been revisited in recent years by American researchers and entrepreneurs: The homely little guayule bush renders a latex that is free of allergy producing proteins. This could have far-reaching benefits for industrial and medical communities and the public at large.

Latex allergies are no laughing matter. With symptoms ranging from skin reactions and hay fever-like nose dribbles to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, queries about latex allergies are routine questions in any medical setting. Latex allergies have caused reputable environments such as Johns Hopkins to become entirely latex free for the long-term safety of their patients and staff.

In the 1980s, growing public health awareness of HIV proliferated the use of latex gloves. With that proliferation came the consequential allergies. Traditional latex gloves offer dexterity and tactile sensitivity but there are now good alternatives such as nitrile or neoprene gloves which can replicate these qualities without compromise. Despite this, the thought of producing allergy-free latex medical supplies from a domestic crop remains intriguing.

The beauty of guayule is more dimensional than its allergy free aspect. It is a truly “green” crop in that it requires only water for its extraction rather than any harmful solvents. As a desert plant, it demands very little water for its cultivation. It does not compete with food crops. It is a perennial so one plant can be reharvested for many years. It requires no herbicides once established and is naturally resistant to fungus and insects. After its latex is harvested, the remaining material shows promise as a bio-fuel resource for ethanol, bio-oil and synthetic gas. A dandy little plant, all in all.