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Microplastic ingestion from atmospheric deposition during dining/drinking activities
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Researchers measured microplastics that settle from the air onto food and drinks during routine dining activities, identifying this as an important but overlooked exposure pathway. They found that atmospheric deposition contributed microplastic exposure roughly equal to inhalation and two to three orders of magnitude greater than direct contamination already present in food. The study suggests that simple steps like covering dishes and rinsing dishware before use can substantially reduce this type of exposure.
Human-health risks from microplastics have attracted considerable attention, but little is known about human-exposure pathways and intensities. Recent studies posited that inhalation of atmospheric microplastics was the dominant human-exposure pathway. Herein, our study identified that atmospheric microplastics ingested from deposition during routine dining/drinking activities represent another important exposure pathway. We measured abundances of atmospheric-deposited microplastics of up to 10 items m d in dining/drinking venues, with 90% smaller than 100 µm and a dominance of amorphous fragments rather than fibers. Typical work-life scenarios projected an annual ingestion of 1.9 × 10 to 1.3 × 10 microplastics through atmospheric deposition on diet, with higher exposure rates for indoor versus outdoor dining/drinking settings. Ingestion of atmospheric-deposited microplastics through diet was similar in magnitude to presumed inhalation exposure, but 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than direct ingestion from food sources. Simple mitigation strategies (e.g., covering and rinsing dishware) can substantially reduce the exposure of atmospheric deposition microplastics through diet.
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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.