We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Airborne microplastic exposure and urinary oxidative damage biomarkers in populations living in traffic-congested areas
Summary
People living in high-traffic areas breathe in more tiny plastic particles, and this shows up in their urine along with signs of cell damage from oxidative stress. This suggests traffic pollution's plastic particles may harm the body, so reducing exposure in busy traffic areas could help protect your health.
Airborne microplastics (MP) have emerged as a growing environmental and human health concern globally. This study aimed to investigate associations between exposure to traffic-related airborne MP and oxidative damage among residents living in different traffic-congested areas in Bangkok, Thailand. Ambient and personal air samples were collected from low-, medium-, and high-traffic areas. From pyrolysis-GC-MS analyses, airborne MP concentrations significantly increased ( p < 0.01) in locations with higher traffic density, measuring 1.25, 2.25 and 2.75 µg/m 3 for low-, medium- and high-traffic locations, respectively. In line with traffic-related airborne MP, personal exposure was highest in the high-exposed group (2.82 µg/m 3 ), which was significantly higher than the medium- and low-exposed groups by 1.50- and 2.32-fold, respectively. Urinary MP concentrations, a potential internal MP exposure indicator, also increased in an exposure-dependent manner. The high-exposed group (4.63 mg/g creatinine) had MP concentrations that were 1.36- and 1.8-fold higher than the medium- and low-exposed groups, respectively. MP polymers for airborne and personal exposure showed similar profiles. Polyethylene (PE) was the most predominant polymer, followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon (N66), and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Additionally, urinary oxidative damage to DNA (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG, and ethenodeoxyadenosine (1,N6-ƐdA), lipid (8-isoprostane, 8-iso-PGF2α), and protein (dityrosine) were significantly increased in medium- and high traffic-exposed groups. Significant positive associations were found between personal exposure to airborne MP, urinary MP, and oxidative damage. This integrative study revealed that exposure to traffic-related airborne MP was associated with oxidative damage, highlighting its potential biological relevance and possible negative impacts on individuals and public health.