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Synergistic effects of microplastics and bioaerosols: emerging trends in urban air pollution complexification and public health implications
Summary
This review examines the emerging synergistic health risks of airborne microplastics and bioaerosols in urban environments. Researchers found that microplastics can serve as carriers for bacteria, fungi, and viruses, potentially prolonging pathogen survival and increasing human exposure through inhalation. The combined exposure may amplify respiratory inflammation and oxidative stress beyond what either pollutant causes individually, highlighting a growing concern for urban public health.
Urban air is increasingly contaminated with complex mixtures of microplastics (MPs) and bioaerosols (BAs), whose co-exposure may pose unique health risks. This review highlights the synergistic interaction between MPs and BAs during atmospheric transport and human exposure. We summarized the sources and physicochemical characteristics of airborne MPs (fragments and fibers from urban waste and textiles) and BAs (bacteria, fungi, and viruses from soil, water, and human activity) and their shared dispersion pathways via wind and resuspension. Both pollutants deposit in the respiratory tract upon inhalation. Notably, MPs may function as potential microbial carriers. Laboratory and field data indicate that airborne plastics harbor distinct microbial biofilms (often with antibiotic-resistant bacteria/genes) and may prolong virus survival (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 on plastic surfaces). These MP-microbe aggregates can enhance pathogen persistence and increase host exposure. In lung models, inhaled MPs disrupt epithelial barriers and surfactant layers, inhibit cell proliferation, and trigger inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, IL-1β, and tumor growth factor-beta) and oxidative stress (depleting SOD/CAT and generating reactive oxygen species). Assessing this co-pollution requires advanced methods. Standard spectroscopic tools (micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and micro-Raman) and emerging methods such as laser direct infrared imaging enable polymer identification and MP sizing. Similarly, culture-independent high-throughput sequencing techniques (e.g., 16S/18S rRNA gene profiling) elucidate airborne microbial diversity. Novel real-time aerosol counters (e.g., UV-LIF optical sensors) and machine learning analytics are being applied to monitor BA load. Finally, we discussed implications for vulnerable subpopulations (children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic respiratory conditions) who may be more susceptible to combined MP/BA effects. The review proposes future directions, which include developing integrated toxicological models, multi-omics analyses of particle-microbe interactions, and establishing coordinated environmental health surveillance to track this emerging urban pollutant mixture.