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Characteristics and assessment of exposure to microplastics through inhalation in indoor air of hospitals
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Sampling indoor and outdoor air at hospitals across multiple departments revealed average MP concentrations of 29.75 MPs/m³ indoors—over 13 times the outdoor level—with laboratory departments showing the highest concentrations, translating to estimated daily inhalation of 157 MPs/day for indoor occupants. The elevated indoor hospital exposure suggests healthcare workers and vulnerable patients face disproportionate microplastic inhalation risks, warranting ventilation and material-use reforms in clinical settings.
The concern about microplastics is increasing due to their adverse effects on human health and environmental pollution. This study identified microplastics in the indoor air of hospitals in different departments, including laboratory, physiotherapy, endoscopy, and emergency departments, as well as in outdoor air around hospitals. Additionally, we assessed exposure to microplastics through inhalation. A total of 56 samples of indoor air and 14 samples of outdoor air were collected and analyzed. Microplastics were identified in indoor and outdoor air of hospitals with mean values of 29.75 ± 8.28 and 2.2 ± 0.95 MPs/m3, respectively. The highest abundance of microplastics was found in the indoor air of the laboratory department (33.13 ± 4.98 MPs/m3), followed by physiotherapy (31.49 ± 3.81 MPs/m3), emergency (28.08 ± 3.28 MPs/m3), and endoscopy (26.74 ± 3.09 MPs/m3) departments, respectively. PET and PP were the predominant polymer compounds of microplastics in indoor and outdoor air, respectively. The mean values of daily exposure to microplastics through inhalation in indoor and outdoor air in hospitals were157.18 ± 54.64 and 12.23 ± 5.51 MPs/day, respectively. We conclude that exposure to microplastics through inhalation may increase health risks to individuals, necessitating further investigation.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.