Papers

61,005 results
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Review Tier 2

A review of atmospheric microplastics pollution: In-depth sighting of sources, analytical methods, physiognomies, transport and risks

This review provides an in-depth analysis of atmospheric microplastic pollution, examining sources, detection methods, physical characteristics, transport mechanisms, and health risks. Researchers found that indoor environments tend to contain higher concentrations of airborne microplastics than outdoor settings, and that current detection methods are limited in their ability to capture the smallest particles. The study emphasizes the need for standardized sampling procedures and more research into the health effects of inhaling microplastic particles.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics in the Atmosphere: An Overview on Sources, Analytical Challenges, and Human Health Effects

This review examines microplastic pollution in the atmosphere, covering both indoor and outdoor sources and the challenges of measuring airborne particles. Researchers found that indoor environments, where people spend most of their time, can have particularly high concentrations of microplastics from synthetic textiles and household items. The study highlights that inhaling airborne microplastics is an important but under-studied route of human exposure.

2024 Atmosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric Microplastics: Perspectives on Origin, Abundances, Ecological and Health Risks

This review summarizes current knowledge about microplastics in the atmosphere, including their sources, how far they travel, and potential health effects from inhalation. Researchers found that airborne microplastics can carry toxic chemicals deep into the respiratory system and may contribute to respiratory problems and other health concerns. The study emphasizes that atmospheric microplastic pollution remains poorly understood due to a lack of standardized measurement methods.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Aloft: A comprehensive exploration of sources, transport, variations, interactions and their implications on human health in the atmospheric realm

This review summarizes research on airborne microplastics and finds that indoor environments typically contain far more microplastic particles than outdoor air -- up to 760,000 particles per square meter per day indoors versus a maximum of about 1,159 outdoors. Sources include synthetic clothing, plastic manufacturing, and even ocean spray. Inhaled microplastics can reach deep into the lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, raising concerns about respiratory and cardiovascular health effects.

2024 Earth-Science Reviews 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric Microplastics and Human Health: Sources, Exposure, and Risks

This review systematically summarizes the sources, distribution, and health implications of atmospheric microplastics in both indoor and outdoor air. The study highlights growing evidence that inhaled microplastics can enter the human body and pose potential risks to the respiratory system, while identifying key limitations and uncertainties in current exposure assessment methods.

2026 Applied and Computational Engineering
Review Tier 2

Emerging environmental challenge: a critical review of airborne microplastics

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of airborne microplastic pollution, covering their sources, distribution in indoor and outdoor environments, and potential health effects. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are present in diverse settings from homes to remote mountain regions, with textile fibers being the most common type. The study highlights that understanding the health risks of inhaling these particles remains an urgent research priority.

2024 Environmental Research Communications 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Does microplastic really represent a threat? A review of the atmospheric contamination sources and potential impacts

This review examines airborne microplastics as emerging atmospheric contaminants that people inevitably inhale during normal breathing. Researchers found that fibers from synthetic textiles are the most common form of airborne microplastics, and their small size allows them to remain suspended in air and potentially cause health problems. The study discusses analytical methods used to measure airborne microplastics and calls for more research into their environmental and health impacts.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Status and prospects of atmospheric microplastics: A review of methods, occurrence, composition, source and health risks

This review summarized the sampling methods, occurrence, composition, sources, and health risks of atmospheric microplastics. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are detected both indoors and outdoors, with fibers being the most common shape, and that inhalation represents an important but understudied exposure pathway. The study suggests that atmospheric transport plays a significant role in the global distribution of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 74 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of the Sources, Environmental Behaviours and Human Health of Atmospheric Microplastics

This review examined sources, environmental behaviors, and human health impacts of atmospheric microplastics, distinguishing indoor from outdoor MP exposure and summarizing evidence on how airborne MPs are emitted, transported, transformed, and inhaled.

2023 Johnson Matthey Technology Review 3 citations
Article Tier 2

First overview of microplastics in indoor and outdoor air

This study provided one of the first comprehensive overviews of microplastic contamination in both indoor and outdoor air, establishing that microplastics are airborne and that indoor environments may have higher concentrations than outdoors due to synthetic materials and textiles. The findings raised new concerns about inhalation as a pathway for human microplastic exposure.

2015 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) 49 citations
Article Tier 2

A Short Review On Content And Composition Of Airborne Microplastics

This short review synthesizes current knowledge on airborne microplastic concentrations and polymer composition, summarizing monitoring data from indoor and outdoor environments and identifying research gaps in exposure assessment.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The Pollution of Atmospheric Microplastics and Their Potential Risks to Humans

This review summarizes what is known about airborne microplastics—tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe—including their sources, distribution, and potential health risks. Fibers are the most common form found in air, and inhalation is an important but underestimated route of human microplastic exposure.

2021 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess human exposure through inhalation

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.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an Emerging Source of Particulate Air Pollution

This review examines the growing body of research on airborne microplastics as a source of particulate air pollution, covering their sources, transport mechanisms, and presence in both indoor and outdoor environments. Researchers highlight that airborne microplastics can travel long distances and have been found in remote locations far from population centers. The study underscores significant gaps in our understanding of how inhaling these tiny plastic particles may affect human health.

2025 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the urban atmosphere: Sources, occurrences, distribution, and potential health implications

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.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: Occurrence, sources, fate, risks and mitigation

This review compiles findings from over 140 studies on airborne microplastics, covering their sources, distribution, and health risks in both indoor and outdoor environments. Researchers found that indoor environments often have higher microplastic concentrations than outdoor air, with textiles and building materials being major sources. The study highlights growing evidence that inhaled microplastics may pose respiratory health risks and calls for standardized measurement methods.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 150 citations
Article Tier 2

An emerging class of air pollutants: Potential effects of microplastics to respiratory human health?

This review explores the emerging concern that airborne microplastics can be inhaled by humans, potentially causing adverse effects on the respiratory system. Researchers compiled available data on the concentration, size, shape, and chemical composition of microplastic particles found in urban air. The findings suggest that airborne plastic debris represents a largely understudied class of air pollutant with potential implications for human health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 406 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics: exposure, toxicity, and detrimental health effects

This review summarizes what is known about microplastics in the air, including their sources, how they travel, and their effects on human health when inhaled or swallowed. Airborne microplastics come from synthetic textiles, road dust, construction materials, and industrial processes, and can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in the lungs and other organs. The authors conclude that atmospheric microplastics represent an underappreciated route of human exposure that deserves more research and regulation.

2023 RSC Advances 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess human exposure through inhalation

Researchers studied suspended microplastics in indoor air to evaluate human exposure through inhalation. The study measured airborne microplastic concentrations in indoor environments, contributing to the growing body of evidence that inhalation represents a significant and underappreciated route of human microplastic exposure.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The Peril of Plastics: Atmospheric Microplastics in Outdoor, Indoor, and Remote Environments

This review surveys the current state of knowledge about microplastics suspended in the atmosphere, covering outdoor, indoor, and remote environments. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are far more widespread than previously recognized, with fibers from textiles and vehicle tire wear being major sources. The study highlights that atmospheric transport can carry microplastics to even the most remote locations on Earth, and that inhaling these particles poses potential health concerns.

2024 Sustainable Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: environmental prevalence, human health risks, and mitigation strategies

This critical review synthesized findings from 156 peer-reviewed papers on airborne microplastics, covering sampling methodologies, environmental prevalence, health hazards, and mitigation strategies. Researchers found that atmospheric microplastic concentrations vary widely across environments and highlighted significant gaps in toxicological research regarding human health effects from inhaled microplastic particles.

2026 Analytical Methods
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Differ Between Indoor and Outdoor Air Masses: Insights from Multiple Microscopy Methodologies

Researchers compared airborne microplastic concentrations inside and outside buildings in coastal California using multiple microscopy techniques. The study found that microplastic composition and abundance differed between indoor and outdoor air masses, with indoor environments containing distinct microplastic profiles, suggesting that people are exposed to different types of airborne microplastics depending on whether they are indoors or outdoors.

2020 Applied Spectroscopy 298 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of airborne microplastics emissions as emerging contaminants in outdoor and indoor air environments

This systematic review compared microplastic levels in indoor and outdoor air around the world. Indoor air often contains more microplastics than outdoor air — largely from synthetic clothing and household items — meaning our homes and workplaces may be significant sources of daily microplastic exposure.

2024 Emerging contaminants 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics: A review on current status and perspectives

This review summarizes current knowledge about microplastics detected in the atmosphere of urban, suburban, and remote areas around the world. Researchers found that airborne microplastic concentrations vary by one to three orders of magnitude across different locations, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes. The study highlights the need for standardized sampling methods and further research to understand how atmospheric microplastics affect human health.

2020 Earth-Science Reviews 1243 citations