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Potential Effects of Environmental and Occupational Exposure to Microplastics: An Overview of Air Contamination
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This review summarizes what is known about airborne microplastics in both general and workplace environments, noting that indoor concentrations often exceed outdoor levels. While the WHO has called for more research on health effects, toxicity studies remain limited and not easily comparable due to a lack of standardized methods -- meaning the full health risks of breathing in microplastics are still unclear.
Microplastics (MPs) are now ubiquitous environmental contaminants that lead to unavoidable human exposure; they have received increasing attention in recent years and have become an emerging area of research. The greatest concern is the negative impacts of MPs on marine, fresh-water, and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as human health, to the extent that the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for increased research and standardized methods to assess exposure to MPs. Many countries and international organizations are implementing or proposing legislation in this regard. This review aims to summarize the current state of legislation, indoor and outdoor contamination, and potential human health risk due to exposure to airborne MPs, considering that occupational exposure to MPs is also becoming a growing area of concern. Even though research regarding MPs has continuously increased in the last twenty years, the effects of MPs on human health have been scarcely investigated, and toxicity studies are still limited and not directly comparable, due to the lack of standardized studies in this field.
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This review compiles findings from over 140 studies on airborne microplastics, covering their sources, distribution, and health risks in both indoor and outdoor environments. Researchers found that indoor environments often have higher microplastic concentrations than outdoor air, with textiles and building materials being major sources. The study highlights growing evidence that inhaled microplastics may pose respiratory health risks and calls for standardized measurement methods.
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This review assessed the current state of knowledge on microplastics in the atmosphere, finding that airborne plastic particles have been detected in both indoor and outdoor environments across multiple regions worldwide. Researchers noted that comparing results across studies is difficult because sampling methods and reporting standards vary widely. The study calls for harmonized measurement approaches so that atmospheric microplastic data can be reliably used for human health risk assessments.
Atmospheric Microplastics and Human Health: Sources, Exposure, and Risks
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This review systematically summarizes the sources, distribution, and health implications of atmospheric microplastics in both indoor and outdoor air. The study highlights growing evidence that inhaled microplastics can enter the human body and pose potential risks to the respiratory system, while identifying key limitations and uncertainties in current exposure assessment methods.
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