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Microplastics in the surgical environment
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Researchers quantified and characterized airborne microplastics in a hospital operating theatre and adjoining anaesthetic room over a one-week period. They found an average of 1,924 microplastic particles per cubic meter per day in the theatre during working hours, dominated by polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fragments. The study provides novel data on microplastic exposure in surgical environments where single-use plastics are widely used, and no microplastics were detected during non-working hours.
Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) have been consistently detected within indoor and outdoor air samples. Locations with high human activity are reported to have high MP levels. The aim was to quantify and characterise the MPs present within the surgical environment over a one-week sampling period. MPs were collected in samplers placed around an operating theatre and adjoining anaesthetic room at 12 h intervals. Particles were filtered onto 0.02 µm membranes and analysed using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The number of MPs identified during the working day sampling period varied, with a mean of 1,924 ± 3,105 MP m day and a range of 0 - 9,258 MP m day observed in the theatre, compared with a mean of 541 ± 969 MP m day and a range of 0 - 3,368 MP m day for the anaesthetic room. Across both rooms and at all sampling points, an increase in levels with a decrease in MP size was observed. Identified particles consisted of mainly fragment shaped MPs (78 %) with polyethylene terephthalate (37 %), polypropylene (25 %), polyethylene (7 %) and nylon (13 %) representing the most abundant polymer types. MPs were not detected in the theatre during non-working hours. The results provide novel information on defining polymer levels and types, in a room environment where the use of single plastics has been regarded as beneficial to practice. These results can inform cellular toxicity studies, investigating the consequences of human MP exposure as well as represent a potentially novel route of exposure for humans for this emerging contaminant of concern, via surgery.
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This review highlights the emerging concern of microplastics in surgical environments, noting that single-use plastic equipment in operating rooms generates microplastic particles that can contaminate surgical sites and patient tissues, calling for greater awareness of MP exposure risks in perioperative settings.
Every breath you take: High concentration of breathable microplastics in indoor environments
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Researchers measured airborne microplastics inside homes and offices using Raman spectroscopy and found concentrations ranging from 58 to 684 particles per cubic meter, with most particles small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. A standard surgical face mask blocked about 85% of airborne microplastics overall but was less effective (58%) for the smallest breathable particles. Without protection, people may inhale over 3,400 microplastic particles per day from indoor air alone.
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Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations in the air around healthcare waste disposal facilities—including autoclave and hydroclave units—in Tehran, conducting a cross-sectional sampling study. Plastic shredding during healthcare waste treatment released measurable airborne microplastic particles, identifying medical waste processing as an overlooked source of occupational and ambient microplastic exposure.
Study of suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess human exposure through inhalation
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Researchers investigated suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess the extent of human exposure through inhalation. The study quantified airborne microplastic particles in indoor settings, providing data on a potentially important but understudied route of daily microplastic intake for the general population.
Plastics in the Perioperative Period: Deleterious Health Effects on Patients and Providers
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The plastic tools used during surgery—IV lines, breathing tubes, syringes—may shed tiny, often invisible plastic particles directly into your bloodstream and lungs, bypassing the body's normal defenses right when you're already under physical stress. This review paper points out that while we don't yet have proof these microplastics directly cause harm in humans, animal studies show potential risks, and both patients and the anesthesiologists/nurses working in operating rooms face repeated exposure. The takeaway: more research and safer plastic alternatives in healthcare settings are needed to protect everyone in the room.
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