INFORM May 2026

24 INFORM MAY 2026, VOL. 37, NO. 5

STUDY REVEALS LAB GLOVES MAY BE SKEWING MICROPLASTICS DATA

Morgan Sherburne

Scientists may have been unknowingly inflating microplastics pollution estimates, and the surprising source could be their own lab gloves. A University of Michigan study found that common nitrile and latex gloves release tiny particles called stearates, which closely resemble microplastics and can contaminate samples during testing. In some cases, this led to wildly exaggerated results, forcing researchers to track down the unexpected culprit.

A University of Michigan study suggests that the nitrile and latex gloves scientists commonly use could be causing microplastics levels to appear higher than they actually are. Researchers found that these gloves can unintentionally transfer particles onto lab tools used to analyze air, water, and other environmental samples. The contamination comes from stearates, which are not plastics but can closely resemble them during testing. Because of this, scientists may be detecting particles that are not true microplastics. To reduce this issue, U-M researchers Madeline Clough and Anne McNeil recommend using cleanroom gloves, which release far fewer particles. Stearates are salt-based, soap-like substances added to disposable gloves to help them separate easily from molds during manufacturing. However, their chemical similarity to certain plastics makes them difficult to distinguish in lab analyses, increasing the risk of false positives when studying microplastic pollution. The researchers emphasize that this does not mean microplastics are not a real problem.

“We may be overestimating microplastics, but there should be none,” said McNeil, senior author of the study and U-M professor of chemistry, macromolecular science and engineering, and the Program in the Environment. “There’s still a lot out there, and that’s the problem.” Clough added, “As microplastic researchers looking for microplastics in the environment, we’re searching for the needle in the haystack, but there really shouldn’t be a needle to begin with.” The research, led by Clough, a recent doctoral graduate, was published in RSC Analytical Methods and supported by the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ Meet the Moment Research Initiative. UNEXPECTED SOURCE BEHIND INFLATED RESULTS The discovery began during a collaborative project examining airborne microplastics in Michigan. The effort involved researchers from multiple U-M departments, including Chemistry, Statistics, and Climate and Space Sciences Engineering. Clough and McNeil worked with collaborators such as