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Comment on egusphere-2026-1305
Summary
Surprisingly, breathing in tiny plastic particles and plastic-related chemicals may be a bigger problem in the countryside than in cities: a study in northern China found rural residents inhaled far higher levels of microplastics and plasticizers (chemicals used to make plastics flexible) than city dwellers, largely from everyday contact with plastic products like farming materials and packaging. This translated to nearly 7 times higher health risks—including cancer risk—for rural residents, suggesting that efforts to reduce plastic pollution exposure shouldn't just focus on cities but also address the unique plastic use patterns in r
Abstract. Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) and plasticizers are emerging contaminants requiring systematic research on urban-rural exposure inequality. This study examined MPs and plasticizers in PM2.5 across urban-rural and indoor-outdoor environments in Northern China's Guanzhong Plain. The 24 h time-weighted exposure concentrations for MPs and plasticizers were 3.6 and 6.8 times higher, respectively, in rural areas than in urban areas. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) exhibited the greatest disparity in urban-rural MPs exposure. Plasticizer exposure was overwhelmingly dominated by phthalates, with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) reaching exceptionally high concentrations in rural indoor air (≈ 600 ng m-3), far exceeding urban levels (10.4 times). Rural residents experienced consistently higher inhalation exposure to MPs and plasticizers, resulting in substantially elevated health risks, with non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks both 6.9 times higher than the urban populations. The volume-normalized oxidative potential (DTTv) was significantly higher in rural than in urban environments (10.8 vs. 1.79 nmol min-1 m-3) and strongly correlated with most MPs and plasticizer species (r > 0.7). Source apportionment revealed that contacting plastic products accounted for 51.7 % of the MPs and plasticizers exposure in rural areas, nearly double the urban value of 27.6 %. In contrast, transportation-related source contributed only 5.9 % in rural areas but 22.6 % in urban areas. These results demonstrate clear urban–rural inequality in MPs and plasticizers exposure and related health effects, highlighting the need for exposure-based and equity-aware assessment frameworks and interventions for air emerging contaminants, especially for disadvantaged rural areas.