Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence, human exposure, and risk of microplastics in the indoor environment

This review examines the often-overlooked issue of microplastic contamination in indoor environments, where people spend up to 90 percent of their time. Researchers found that indoor microplastic concentrations can be substantial, originating from synthetic textiles, furniture, and building materials. The study highlights a significant gap in understanding human microplastic exposure and calls for more research on the health risks of breathing in and ingesting these particles at home and work.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 212 citations
Review Tier 2

Indoor Microplastics: A Comprehensive Review and Bibliometric Analysis

This comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis summarizes research on indoor microplastic contamination, covering sampling methods, identification techniques, and concentration levels in dust, deposition, and air samples. Fiber-shaped microplastics are the most commonly detected indoors, with dust and deposition samples showing higher concentrations than air samples.

2023 3 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Systematic Review on Indoor Microplastics: Unveiling Sources, Exposure Pathways, and Human Health Implications

This systematic review reveals that indoor environments are a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic exposure. People spend most of their time indoors, where microplastics shed from textiles, furniture, and packaging accumulate in dust and air, meaning your home and office may be major contributors to the microplastics you breathe and ingest daily.

2024 Journal of Advanced Research in Micro and Nano Engieering 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Indoor Airborne Microplastics: Human Health Importance and Effects of Air Filtration and Turbulence

This review examines airborne microplastics in indoor environments, where people spend most of their time and where microplastic concentrations are higher than outdoors. Most indoor airborne microplastics are textile fibers small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs, where they can enter the bloodstream and reach other organs. The authors discuss how air filtration and airflow patterns affect indoor microplastic levels, noting that breathing in microplastics may pose greater health risks than consuming them in food and drink.

2024 Microplastics 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the microplastic contamination: A comprehensive analysis of microplastics in indoor house dust

This study provides a detailed analysis of microplastics found in indoor house dust, where people spend most of their time. Fibers were the most common type found, originating from textiles, carpets, and clothing, with plastic sizes and types varying across different household areas. The findings highlight that everyday indoor environments are a significant source of microplastic exposure through inhalation and ingestion of dust.

2024 Indoor and Built Environment 37 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Systematic review of microplastics and nanoplastics in indoor and outdoor air: identifying a framework and data needs for quantifying human inhalation exposures

This systematic review is the first to examine microplastic levels in both indoor and outdoor air and estimate how much people inhale. The findings suggest we are breathing in microplastic particles daily, with indoor air often containing higher concentrations due to synthetic textiles and household materials.

2024 Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 90 citations
Review Tier 2

A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of sources and analytical approaches of indoor microplastics

Researchers systematically reviewed the scientific literature on microplastics in indoor air and found a sharp rise in research after 2017, likely spurred by COVID-19 pandemic attention to indoor air quality. The review highlights that sources like synthetic textiles, furniture, and ventilation systems contribute to indoor microplastic exposure, but standardized measurement methods are still lacking.

2023 Emerging contaminants 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the indoor environment

This review examines microplastic contamination in indoor environments, noting that people are continuously exposed to microplastics in household dust, air, and from flooring, furniture, and textiles. Indoor microplastic exposure is a key route of human inhalation and ingestion that has received less attention than environmental contamination.

2020 UBibliorum repositorio digital da ubi (University of Beira Interior)
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

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

Review of microplastics in the indoor environment: Distribution, human exposure and potential health impacts

This review comprehensively analyzes microplastic contamination in indoor environments, where most people spend the majority of their time. Researchers found that indoor exposure to microplastics comes from multiple sources including dust, air, drinking water, and food, with finer particles posing the greatest concern because they can enter the bloodstream and organs. The findings suggest that indoor microplastic exposure represents a meaningful but understudied health risk that requires further research into mitigation strategies.

2023 Chemosphere 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastics sources in indoor environments, an emerging pollutant

This study explores microplastics as an emerging indoor air and surface pollutant, examining the diverse sources that contribute to microplastic presence within indoor environments and characterizing the pathways by which people may be exposed.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Household Microplastic Pollutants

This chapter reviews household microplastic pollution as a significant component of indoor environmental contamination, relevant because humans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, including 60% at home. The authors identify major household microplastic sources including synthetic textiles, cleaning products, and food packaging, and assess exposure pathways and health implications for occupants.

2024
Article Tier 2

Characterization and quantification of microplastics in indoor environments

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in indoor spaces including offices, labs, dining halls, and dormitories. Dormitories had the highest microplastic levels, with fibers being the most common shape found. The study highlights that people are regularly inhaling microplastics indoors, where they spend the majority of their time.

2023 Heliyon 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Indoor Microplastics and Microfibers

This review examines microplastic and microfiber contamination in indoor environments like homes, schools, and workplaces, finding that indoor air and dust often contain more microplastics than outdoor air. Indoor sources like furniture, textiles, and synthetic materials constantly shed tiny plastic fibers that people inhale, ingest, and absorb through skin contact. The review highlights that indoor microplastic exposure, especially through breathing, may be a more significant route of human exposure than previously thought.

2024 19 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

Long-term assessment of microplastics in indoor high school air: Abundance, sources, and polymeric analysis

This long-term study monitored microplastic concentrations in indoor high school air over multiple years, finding persistent contamination dominated by fibers, with sources including synthetic textiles and suggesting that indoor air is a significant human exposure route.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Morphological and Chemical Analysis of Indoor Airborne Microplastics: Implications for Human Health in Ahvaz, Iran

Researchers collected indoor airborne microplastics and performed detailed morphological and chemical characterization, assessing the particle types, polymer identities, and surface properties of what people inhale in enclosed spaces. The study found a diverse mixture of synthetic fiber fragments and plastic particles in indoor air.

2024
Article Tier 2

The Occurrence of Microplastics in the Indoor Environment

This book examines the occurrence of microplastics in indoor environments, covering sources, accumulation patterns, and implications for human exposure. It compiles research on indoor microplastic contamination as a growing area of concern distinct from outdoor and aquatic pollution.

2025
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
Review Tier 2

Critical review on airborne microplastics: An indoor air contaminant of emerging concern

This review summarizes existing research on microplastics floating in indoor air, finding that synthetic textiles, flooring materials, and increased use of plastic protective equipment since the pandemic are major sources. Indoor microplastic levels can be higher than outdoor levels, and inhaling these particles has been linked to respiratory, immune, and nervous system concerns. The findings highlight that people face significant microplastic exposure simply from breathing the air in their own homes and workplaces.

2023 Environmental Research 47 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive characterization of indoor ambient microplastics in households during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers used active air sampling to measure airborne microplastics inside seven homes in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people spent significantly more time indoors. They found microplastics in all homes, primarily fibers from textiles, with concentrations varying by room and household activities. Since people spend over 80% of their time indoors, the study highlights that household air is a major and underappreciated route of microplastic inhalation exposure.

2024 Air Quality Atmosphere & Health 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Simulating human exposure to indoor airborne microplastics using a Breathing Thermal Manikin

Researchers used a breathing thermal manikin to simulate human exposure to airborne microplastics inside three apartments and found that every sample contained microplastic particles. Polyester and polyamide fibers from textiles were the most common types detected. The study estimates that people inhale meaningful quantities of microplastics indoors, identifying a significant but understudied route of human exposure.

2019 Scientific Reports 729 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