Permeation is defined as the ability of a chemical to seep through the glove.

• A. Ability of a chemical to seep through glove
• B. Rate at which a glove degrades
• C. Time required for the glove to fail
• D. Volume of chemical absorbed by skin

Answer: (A)

Permeation refers to the movement of a chemical through a protective glove material from the outside to the inside, as the molecules diffuse and traverse the glove rather than just causing visible wear. This definition focuses on the glove acting as a barrier and the chemical getting through it, which is exactly what the option describes—the chemical’s ability to pass through the glove.

The other ideas describe different issues: degrading the glove material (chemical attack on the glove), the time until the chemical first appears on the inside surface (breakthrough time, a related measurement but not the definition), and skin exposure from the chemical that has bypassed the glove, not movement through it. So the option that states the chemical’s ability to pass through the glove best captures what permeation means.