Study Reveals Massive Microplastic Inhalation, Estimating 68,000 Particles Daily in Our Homes and Cars
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
A recent study, published in the journal PLOS One, has issued a serious warning about the amount of microplastics that humans are inhaling daily, especially inside their homes and cars. New measurements suggest that we are breathing in significantly greater quantities of these particles than previously thought.
Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments, often completely invisible to the naked eye. They are ubiquitous and have been detected in a wide variety of environments, from the outdoors to our most personal spaces. Previous research had primarily focused on larger particles, ranging from 20 to 200 micrometers, which are less likely to penetrate deeply into the lungs. However, the team of Nadiia Yakovenko and Jeroen Sonke from the Université de Toulouse, France, has focused its attention on fragments of 10 micrometers or less, which are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs.
After collecting air samples in apartments and vehicles under realistic driving conditions, the researchers estimate that adults inhale approximately 68,000 microplastic particles from 1 to 10 micrometers per day. This figure is one hundred times higher than previous estimates for small-diameter exposures. The findings also reveal that car air has a higher median concentration (2,238 particles per cubic meter) compared to apartments (528 particles per cubic meter), marking the first time microplastics have been measured in vehicle cabins, highlighting it as a major and underestimated exposure route and a clear case of massive microplastic inhalation.
The primary concern lies in the potential health effects. These inhaled particles can penetrate the lungs and could pose risks of oxidative stress, immune system effects, and organ damage. Once in the lungs, microplastics have the capacity to release toxic additives that reach our blood and cause multiple diseases. While microplastics have been detected accumulating in human organs, including the brain, heart, and placenta, experts note that the evidence is still insufficient to determine direct risks to human health and more research is needed to establish whether they cause harm. Nevertheless, many experts cite the precautionary principle, emphasizing that policy decisions to limit exposure cannot wait for complete data given the omnipresence of this threat.
This study underscores the urgency for more research to confirm and expand upon these results and, ultimately, to guide future public health recommendations and indoor air quality standards.
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