Lab Gloves Used in Research May Cause Overestimation of Microplastic Levels, Study Finds

A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan has revealed that nitrile and latex gloves commonly used in laboratories may lead to inflated measurements of microplastic particles. Published in the journal RSC Analytical Methods, the report identifies a chemical called “stearates,” present in the gloves, as responsible for producing false-positive microplastic particles during testing. The study recommends using cleanroom gloves to achieve more accurate microplastic quantification.

Dated March 30, Kathmandu – Microplastic pollution, a major environmental concern, might have been overreported in scientific studies due to contamination from laboratory gloves. According to University of Michigan researchers, the traditional nitrile and latex gloves used by scientists introduce stearates, chemicals that generate particles similar to microplastics, which can skew results.

The researchers observed that substances like soap, used to remove particles from gloves, inadvertently introduce thousands of false-positive results into lab equipment. In experiments conducted by Madeline Clapp and Professor N. McNeill, approximately 2,000 false particles per square millimeter were found to originate from these gloves. However, the scientists emphasize that this does not imply the absence of microplastics in the environment.

“We may be overestimating microplastic levels, but there are still plastic particles present in the samples,” Professor McNeill clarified. To reduce such errors, the study advises adopting cleanroom gloves, which release fewer external particles. This breakthrough urges scientists worldwide to reexamine earlier data to better understand the true extent of microplastic pollution.