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Airborne fiber particles: Types, size and concentration observed in Beijing
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A monitoring study in Beijing measured the types, sizes, and concentrations of airborne fiber particles, finding a mix of natural and synthetic fibers in the urban atmosphere. The study raises concerns about inhalation exposure to airborne microfibers in heavily populated cities.
Airborne fibers are of public concern because of their potential threat to the environment, however their physical and chemical properties are poorly understood. Fibers are defined as having an aspect ratio >3:1. Fiber particles were collected in the near surface air, surface deposited dust and building materials in Beijing. They were examined using analytical scanning electron microscopy. The particles were initially classified into two categories: organic and inorganic. Organic fibers comprised microplastic and natural organic fiber particles. Inorganic fibers were mainly man-made mineral fibers (MMMFs), asbestos (represented by chrysotile), calcium sulfate and metal fiber particles. Microplastic and MMMFs fibers were most abundant, accounting for 34.6% and 40.3% in total, respectively, followed by asbestos (7.8%), calcium sulfate (7.2%), metal fibers (5.6%) and natural organic fiber particles (4.5%). The number-concentration of these particles was about 16.7 × 10 fibers/ml at 1.5 m above the ground and about 14.1 × 10 fibers/ml at about 18 m, suggesting the particles were mainly derived from surface and were re-suspended. Approximately 80% of the airborne fiber were smaller than 20 μm in length, which is possibly the critical size for fiber particles to re-suspend into the air. Surface dust and construction sites were speculated to be the major contributors of the fiber particles.
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Researchers tracked microplastic pollution falling from the air across a major Chinese urban region (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) over a full year, finding that busier, wealthier, more populated areas had significantly more tiny plastic particles raining down from the sky, especially in spring. Most of these particles were tiny plastic fibers, often from synthetic textiles, small enough to potentially be inhaled, and the study found "moderate" to "high" ecological risk levels at various sites, highlighting that the air we breathe in cities is a real and measurable source of microplastic exposure that changes with location and season.
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Microplastics in the urban atmosphere: Sources, occurrences, distribution, and potential health implications
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This review summarizes research on airborne microplastics in cities, finding that indoor sources like textiles and outdoor sources like traffic-related plastic particles are major contributors. Microplastic concentrations in urban air can be significant, especially in densely populated areas, and people can inhale these particles daily. The health implications of breathing in microplastics are still being studied, but early evidence suggests they may cause lung inflammation and other respiratory problems.
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