Study: People breathe in 68,000 microplastic particles indoors every day

A French research team from the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Toulouse has discovered that a person can inhale around 68,000 particles of microplastic per day indoors. The microplastics can get deep into the lungs and also into the bloodstream.

For the study “Human exposure to PM10 microplastics in indoor air,” which was published in Plos. One, the researchers took air samples from homes and car interiors. In their investigations, they focused exclusively on indoor spaces to find out the extent to which the air there is permeated with microplastic particles. It turned out that the concentration of microplastics in indoor air is around 100 times higher than previously assumed.

Higher concentration in indoor air than previously thought

The scientists used the Raman spectroscopy method to determine the concentration. This makes it possible to detect particles between one and ten micrometers in size. Previous studies had overlooked particles of this size, meaning that the concentration of microplastics in the air was lower.

The researchers in the French study found that more than 90 percent of the microplastic particles detected indoors were smaller than ten micrometers. The air was measured in private homes and cars. The concentration in living spaces was 528 microplastic particles per cubic meter of air. In cars, the concentration was even higher at 2238 particles per cubic meter. The researchers explain the higher levels in vehicles by the fact that they are smaller rooms containing a lot of plastic, such as dashboards, seat covers, and carpets. The heating of the plastic surfaces by the sun and any friction ensure that microplastics are released and released into the air.

Health hazards

Particles smaller than ten micrometers can then enter the human lungs via the air we breathe and from there into the bloodstream. There is a risk that the particles could be deposited in blood vessels, the brain, and organs and endanger health. For example, this can trigger various diseases, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

“People spend on average 90 percent of their time indoors, such as homes, workplaces, stores, transportation, etc., being exposed to microplastic pollution through inhalation without even thinking about it,” says Nadiia Yakovenko, postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. “What surprised us the most was how much microplastic was present in the air of environments we consider safe and familiar, like our homes and cars.”

According to the study, people can inhale around 68,000 microplastic particles per day indoors. The health consequences can be serious, according to the French researchers.

(olb)