It’s impossible to know exactly how many chemicals exist in the world, but more than 60 million are registered with Chemical Abstracts Service system. About 80,000 are in use regularly worldwide, and that doesn’t count all the combinations of those chemicals. These are overwhelming numbers, and the challenge of protecting workers against this massive universe can seem just as overwhelming.
The sheer volume isn’t the only issue. Various chemicals and chemical compounds react in different ways to different materials used in gloves. Nitrile is effective against lubricating oils but not acetone, which is used to remove paint or nail polish. Neoprene is a good fit against many pharmaceutical agents, but ineffective against methylene chloride, another common paint-remover. In addition, there are chemical mixes that add increased complexity and require a chemist to identify the right protection.