A FIRST ASPECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A SURFACE TREATMENT FOR ELASTOMERIC ARTICLES SUCH AS MEDICAL GLOVES, COMPRISING A WATER-BASED COATING FORMULATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT(S) EMBRACED THEREIN IN AN ESSENTIALLY POWDER-FREE COMPOSITION COATING. A SECOND ASPECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A WATER-BASED COATING FORMULATION FOR ELASTOMERIC ARTICLES SUCH AS GLOVES COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE NON-VOLATILE WATER-SOLUBLE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT IN A CONTROLLED-RELEASE MATRIX COMPRISING A BLEND OF A HYDROPHILIC POLYMER AND A HYDROPHOBIC COMPONENT. THE CONTROLLED-RELEASE MATRIX/BLEND REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE: COMPATIBILITY WITH THE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FORMATION OF A RESERVOIR OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, COATING FILM FLEXIBILITY AND LOWER WATER-SOLUBILITY THAN THE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT. A THIRD ASPECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A METHOD FOR TREATING MEDICAL GLOVES COMPRISING DIPPING, SPRAYING, TUMBLING OR OTHER MEANS FOR APPLYING TO THE GLOVE SURFACE A COMPOSITION TO PROVIDE MEDICAL GLOVES WITH SUSTAINABLE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY. NO SUITABLE FIGURE
