Scientists may be overestimating the amount of microplastics in the environment – and the culprit is lab gloves

Tiny particles from certain lab gloves look like microplastics, and they can contaminate samples, new study finds.

By: Anne McNeil, University of Michigan and Madeline Clough, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 26, 2026

Words: 1,018

Last Updated: 4 months, 1 week ago

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By Anne McNeil, University of Michigan and Madeline Clough, University of Michigan

It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air.

Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their small size. One microplastic can range from as large as a ladybug to as small as an eighth of …

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