Lab glove deposits drive false microplastic signatures in atmospheric pollution samples

Particles shed from lab gloves are being misidentified as microplastics, distorting measurements of atmospheric pollution, new research shows.

Contamination in microplastic studies typically occurs through wet contact, with particles transferred from water or reagents during liquid transfer and handling.

Here, however, dry contact from lab gloves led to results that ‘much exceeded’ expectations based on the literature, explains lead researcher Madeleine Clough at the University of Michigan, US.