Hydrogels composed of PVP, PEG and agar, produced by simultaneous crosslinking and package sterilization by ionizing radiation, are used mainly as wound dressing. In this study, membranes prepared in different conditions were tested for their properties including in vitro biocompatibility. The results showed that the mechanical properties were in an acceptable range of values and that the membranes can be considered as non toxic and non hemolytic to the cells. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.