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Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles
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Researchers measured microplastics and their chemical additives in airborne dust at an electronics recycling plant, identifying ten different plastic types and eight classes of additives including flame retardants and phthalates. The findings confirm that people can inhale microplastics along with potentially harmful chemicals at work, raising concerns about respiratory and overall health risks from airborne plastic pollution.
The widespread extensive use of synthetic polymers has led to a substantial environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution, with microplastics detected in various environments and posing risks to both human health and ecosystems. The possibility of plastic fragments to be dispersed in the air as particles and inhaled by humans may cause damage to the respiratory and other body systems. Therefore, there is a particular need to study microplastics as air pollutants. In this study, we tested a combination of analytical pyrolysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify and quantify both microplastics and their additives in airborne particulate matter and settled dust within a workplace environment: a WEEE treatment plant. Using this combined approach, we were able to accurately quantify ten synthetic polymers and eight classes of polymer additives. The identified additives include phthalates, adipates, citrates, sebacates, trimellitates, benzoates, organophosphates, and newly developed brominated flame retardants.
More Papers Like This
Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles
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This study quantified microplastics and plastic polymer additives in airborne particulate matter collected from indoor and outdoor environments, characterizing the contribution of plastic particles to inhalation exposure. Microplastics and associated additives were detected in breathable air, supporting inhalation as a significant route of human plastic exposure.
Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles
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Researchers quantified microplastics and polymer additives in airborne samples to assess inhalation exposure, finding synthetic particles across multiple size fractions in outdoor air. The study highlights airborne microplastics as a significant and often underestimated route of human plastic exposure.
Inhalable microplastics and plastic additives in the indoor air of chemical laboratories
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Researchers measured inhalable microplastics and plastic additives in the air of chemical laboratories, focusing on the particle sizes most relevant to human breathing. Using pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry, they detected various polymers and endocrine-disrupting plastic additives in both fine and coarse air fractions. The study highlights that indoor workplaces can be significant sources of airborne microplastic exposure, with potential implications for occupational health.
Study of airborne microplastics emissions in workplaces
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Researchers measured airborne microplastic emissions in occupational settings, finding that workplaces can be significant sources of MP exposure through inhalation. The study characterized particle size, composition, and concentration of MPs in workplace air across different industrial environments.
Airborne microplastics and plastic additives in a school environment: identification, quantification, and associated inhalation risks
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Researchers measured airborne microplastic levels inside and outside a school near a plastics factory in Portugal and found that indoor concentrations were significantly higher than outdoor levels. Six types of plastic polymers were identified in classroom air, along with co-occurring pollutants like phthalates and pesticides. The study estimates daily inhalation exposure for children and highlights that kids may be breathing in microplastics throughout the school day.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.