In this case, the lab gloves are shedding materials that superficially resemble microplastics under a microscope but aren't actually microplastics. (I was concerned about that at first too because of the overlap between food service gloves and lab gloves!)

I don't buy the whole premise.

A couple of months ago there were a bunch of news stories, about how maybe oil companies should be sued, just like tobacco companies were.

Then, suddenly out of nowhere, it's actually the gloves that is the problem. It's an excellent counter to such a movement. The scientists are wrong, you see. Microplastics? Overblown!

The average joe will read only the headline/clickbait, and forever doubt microplastics.