- Researchers study small plastics that are called microplastics.
- They collect air and water samples with gloves on.
- Some disposable gloves leave a soap-like white mark.
- These marks can look like microplastics under tests.
- Marks can stick to filters, slides and other tools.
- This can make the microplastic counts much higher.
- Cleanroom gloves leave the fewest marks and particles.
- Gloves are coated to make them easier to remove.
- Researchers want to find and fix this problem.
Difficult words
- microplastic — Very small pieces of plastic in environment.microplastics
- sample — Small amount of air or water tested.samples
- glove — Covering worn on the hand.gloves
- disposable — Made to be used once and thrown away.
- filter — Material that catches small pieces or dirt.filters
- cleanroom — A very clean room for careful work.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you use gloves when you work?
- Have you seen small pieces of plastic before?
- Would you prefer cleanroom gloves or regular gloves?
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