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Atmospheric Microplastics in Indoor and Outdoor Air: Abundance and their Potential as Vectors for Heavy Metals
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Airborne microplastics were detected in both indoor and outdoor air in the Philippines, with outdoor concentrations twice as high and fiber morphologies dominating; toxic metals including lead and cadmium were adsorbed onto the particles. This dual contamination—plastic particles carrying heavy metals—significantly increases the health risk of inhaling atmospheric microplastics compared to plastic alone.
Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as pervasive atmospheric pollutants, yet their occurrence and characteristics in urban air environments remain poorly characterized. This study quantified the abundance, morphological features, polymer composition, and elemental associations of airborne MPs in indoor and outdoor environments in Marikina, Philippines. Airborne particles were collected using a respirable dust sampler and analyzed through microscopic observation, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Results revealed significantly higher MP concentrations in outdoor air (0.341±0.038 MP/m³) than indoors (0.155±0.106 MP/m³) (p=0.0454), with estimated daily intakes ranging from 0.5-3.2 MP/day indoors and 2.1-4.3 MP/day outdoors. Fibers were the predominant morphology in both environments, accounting for 80.0-95.7% indoors and 61.3-84.0% outdoors. Polymer analysis identified indoor MPs mainly as polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 50.0%), polyethylene (PE), and polyurethane (PU), whereas outdoor samples showed a broader diversity, including polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Elemental analysis revealed the adsorption of toxic metals such as titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd), with Pb concentrations reaching up to 18.13% in indoor PE fibers and Cr up to 18.29% in outdoor HDPE. These findings demonstrate that outdoor environments harbor higher concentrations and more chemically complex MPs, emphasizing the potential risk of human inhalation exposure. The study underscores the urgent need for monitoring airborne MPs and developing mitigation measures to reduce human and environmental health in urban areas.
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Researchers collected airborne microplastics from four roadside sites in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, using respirable dust samplers and ATR-FTIR polymer confirmation, finding polypropylene and PET fibers as dominant forms with concentrations up to 0.0212 items per cubic meter and greater variation in particle characteristics than in overall abundance across sites.
Atmospheric microplastics as vectors of heavy metals and trace elements in tropical urban air: SEM–EDX and ICP–MS evidence from Metro Manila, Philippines
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Tiny plastic particles floating in the air over Manila can pick up metals like zinc, copper, and even toxic ones like lead and mercury, essentially acting as tiny hitchhiker rides for pollution. The good news: based on current levels, breathing these particles in doesn't appear to pose a meaningful health risk. Still, metal buildup on these particles increased sharply during the dry season, and as plastics break down into smaller, more easily inhaled pieces, scientists say this is worth continuing to watch.
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Researchers used passive air sampling over 28 days near an Indonesian industrial estate and found microplastic fiber concentrations highest downwind in residential zones, with polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, and polyamide as dominant polymers, and wind speed as the primary meteorological driver of abundance.
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Researchers measured airborne microplastics across three sites in Taiwan — rural, near a waste incinerator, and in a traffic-heavy area — finding the highest concentrations at the traffic site, with polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant plastic types. Estimated daily human exposure through breathing and accidental ingestion ranged in the tens of particles per kilogram of body weight, underscoring that air is a significant but often overlooked route of microplastic exposure.
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Researchers measured airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments in Islamabad, Pakistan, finding that indoor air contained nearly five times more microplastics than outdoor air. Classrooms had the highest contamination at about 6 particles per cubic meter, with fibers being the most common shape and polyester (PET) the most common plastic type. These findings highlight that people are continuously inhaling microplastics, especially indoors.
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