Study Finds Lab Gloves Inflate Microplastic Counts in Environmental Samples

Ann Arbor, Michigan. A study from the University of Michigan has found that the nitrile and latex gloves used by scientists in laboratories cause the amount of microplastics detected in the environment to appear higher than it actually is. According to the researchers, particles shed from these gloves stick to the equipment used for sampling and appear exactly like plastic during testing.

The study revealed that a soap-like substance called 'stearates,' used in glove manufacturing, chemically resembles some plastics, thus misleading the tests. The study was initiated after Madeleine Claff, who led the research, found thousands of times more plastic than expected while collecting air samples of microplastics.

Although pollution from the laboratory environment or plastic bottles was initially suspected, gloves were ultimately confirmed as the main cause. During the investigation, testing seven types of gloves showed up to nearly 2,000 false positives per square millimeter area.

However, this does not mean the microplastic problem in the environment is non-existent. Senior author of the study and Professor Anne McNeil emphasized that while the estimated amount of microplastics might be slightly lower, the presence of any particle in the environment should ideally be zero.

"We might be overestimating the amount of microplastics, but in reality, there shouldn't be a single particle there," she said. Scientists suggest using 'cleanroom' gloves for solving this issue, as they are not coated with stearates and emit far fewer particles.

This research is expected to help make future environmental studies more accurate. The research team has also developed a method to review older data and distinguish between real microplastics and particles originating from gloves.

This study was published in the journal RSC Analytical Methods and has alerted scientists worldwide to improve their laboratory procedures.