Dhaka, March 30 -- A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that nitrile and latex gloves commonly used by scientists could be causing microplastics levels in environmental studies to appear higher than they actually are.

Researchers found that particles from these gloves can unintentionally transfer onto lab tools used to analyze air, water, and other samples. The contamination originates from stearates, soap-like, salt-based substances added to disposable gloves to help them separate during manufacturing. While not plastics themselves, stearates can resemble certain microplastics in testing, potentially leading to false positive results.

To address this, U-M researchers Madeline Clough and Anne McNeil recommend the use of ...