We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics in construction and built environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers review how the widespread use of plastics in construction — in paints, cement, textiles, and road materials — releases microplastics into the environment through wear and weathering, with entry points into the human body through air, water, and skin contact. The authors propose solutions including high-strength concrete formulations and biodegradable alternatives to reduce microplastic release from buildings and infrastructure.
Plastics have been extensively used in the building and construction industries for decades. However, the more plastics are utilised, the more microplastics are released. This review and analysis article summarises and organises the knowledge from 211 current related publications published in 2014–2022. The review and analysis explain the kinds of plastics employed in construction and built environment. Fabrics or textiles, fibres and plastics in cementitious systems, paints, tyres and roads are discussed. The entry points of microplastics into the human body are reviewed next, followed by the management of recycled wastes. The important research gaps and possible solutions include using high-strength concretes and surface-hardening agents is suggested to encapsulate the microplastics inside the matrix; DPSIR model analysis can be holistically adopted for each composite; innovative bio-chemical technology like self-healing concrete and bio-degradable plastics can be a viable choice; and social science, law and urban planning can support awareness and comprehension.
More Papers Like This
From plastic use in the construction and built environment to state-of-the-art circular economy solutions to combat microplastic pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how plastics used throughout the construction industry — in paints, pipes, insulation, flooring, and adhesives — degrade over time and release microplastics into the environment, with building paints alone contributing up to 863,000 tonnes per year in the EU. Despite construction accounting for nearly a quarter of plastic use in Europe, less than 0.6% of microplastic research focuses on this sector, leaving a major pollution source largely unexamined.
“Microplastics and Polymers in Construction Materials: Sources, Fate, and Structural/Environmental Impacts”
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes evidence that construction practices generate microplastic particles from polymer additives and recycled plastics during manufacturing, placement, and demolition, presents a sampling framework for detecting construction-derived microplastics, and compares identification methods for characterizing these particles.
Fibre-Reinforced Cement as a Source of Microplastics and Their Post-Release Behaviour
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how fibre-reinforced cement containing polypropylene and recycled PET fibres releases microplastics under simulated wear and demolition conditions, finding that cement adhesion to fibre surfaces can alter particle density and contaminant-release potential, marking construction materials as an underappreciated source of environmentally complex microplastic particles.
Being Plastic
AI summary Read the abstract
Plastic is everywhere now — even in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat — with tiny plastic particles finding their way into our bodies. This paper points out that buildings and construction are a huge source of this problem, since 14% of all plastic made each year goes into building materials, and calls on designers to use natural materials instead of synthetic plastics to help protect our health and the environment.
Microplastics exposure levels based on building composition and usage in built environmnet
AI summary Read the abstract
This study assessed indoor microplastic exposure levels across different building types and usage patterns, finding that building composition materials and occupancy behavior significantly affect airborne MP concentrations and thus human inhalation exposure in built environments.
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.