Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence and exposure assessment of microplastics in indoor dusts of buildings with different applications in Bushehr and Shiraz cities, Iran

Researchers measured microplastic levels in indoor dust from homes, mosques, hospitals, kindergartens, and universities in two Iranian cities, finding an average of 80 to 90 particles per milligram of dust. Kindergartens had the highest concentrations, and polyethylene fibers were the most common type across all buildings. The study found that infants in kindergartens face the highest daily microplastic exposure from breathing and accidentally swallowing indoor dust.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 138 citations
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

Assessing the concentration, distribution and characteristics of suspended microplastics in the Malaysian indoor environment

Researchers measured airborne microplastic levels inside offices, classrooms, apartments, and homes across Malaysia over six weeks. Microplastics were found in every indoor environment tested, with fibers being the most common type, and people in homes were estimated to inhale more microplastics daily than those in offices or classrooms. The findings highlight that indoor air is a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic exposure for people.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Indoor microplastics and bacteria in the atmospheric fallout in urban homes

Researchers measured indoor airborne microplastics and bacteria across different rooms in 20 urban homes. The study identified nearly 24,000 microplastic particles of 21 polymer types and found that microplastic abundance varied by room type and usage patterns, with a significant correlation between microplastic concentrations and bacterial community structure in the home environment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 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
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastic particle concentrations and characterization in indoor urban microenvironments

Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations across indoor environments including homes, workplaces, and public transit in an urban setting. Buses had the highest concentrations at over 17 particles per cubic meter, while homes and workplaces had lower but still significant levels. Most particles were polyamide and polyester fibers smaller than 100 micrometers, small enough to be inhaled, highlighting indoor air as an important but understudied route of microplastic exposure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploration of microplastic concentration in indoor and outdoor air samples: Morphological, polymeric, and elemental analysis

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of microplastics in university interior environments

This study measured microplastic concentrations in indoor air at university facilities, building on evidence that indoor environments are significant sites of microplastic exposure through inhalation. Particles were detected in multiple indoor settings, contributing to growing evidence that daily indoor air exposure is a notable route of human microplastic intake.

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

Temporal Variations and Characteristics of Microplastics in Indoor and Outdoor Air

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in indoor and outdoor air across different seasons and found levels were similar in both environments, averaging about 1.8–2.7 particles per cubic meter. The dominant plastic type was PET, and turbulent airflow and human activity — not season or day of week — were the main drivers of indoor microplastic levels.

2025 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastic contamination across diverse university indoor environments: A comprehensive ambient analysis

Researchers measured airborne microplastics across different indoor spaces at a university and found that people in those buildings inhale an estimated 180 to 240 microplastic particles daily. The most common types found were nylon, PTFE, polypropylene, and polyethylene, with fragments showing rough edges from wear and tear. This study highlights that indoor air is a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic exposure for people who spend most of their time indoors.

2024 Air Quality Atmosphere & Health 49 citations
Article Tier 2

An Occupant-Based Overview of Microplastics in Indoor Environments in the City of Surabaya, Indonesia

Airborne microplastic deposition in settled indoor dust was measured in residential and commercial buildings in a city environment, providing an occupant-based assessment of indoor microplastic exposure. Microplastics smaller than 5 mm were deposited at measurable rates in all sampled indoor settings, with fiber shapes dominating the settled dust contamination.

2020 Journal of Ecological Engineering 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in dust from different indoor environments

Researchers measured microplastic levels in indoor dust across different types of buildings, finding that residential apartments had the highest concentrations at over 1,100 particles per gram of dust. Polyester fibers were the most common type in homes and hotels, while offices and classrooms had more polyethylene and polypropylene. The study estimated that infants face the highest daily microplastic intake from breathing indoor dust, roughly 30 times more per body weight than adults.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 134 citations
Review Tier 2

Indoor microplastics: a comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis

This review summarizes research on microplastic pollution inside buildings, where people spend most of their time. Indoor environments generally have higher microplastic concentrations than outdoors, with fiber-shaped particles from synthetic textiles being the most common type. Since people inhale and ingest these particles daily, indoor microplastic exposure may be a significant and underappreciated route of human health risk.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 31 citations
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

Airborne Microplastics in Indoor and Outdoor Environments at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Campus

Researchers collected airborne microplastic samples from indoor and outdoor environments at a Malaysian university campus, finding microplastics present in all locations with higher concentrations indoors and fiber morphologies predominating, suggesting occupants are continually exposed via inhalation.

2025 Journal of Advanced Research in Micro and Nano Engieering
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

Determination of microplastics in university interior environments

This study measured airborne microplastic concentrations in indoor environments at a university, finding particles in air samples from multiple indoor settings. Results contribute to evidence that indoor air represents a significant daily source of microplastic inhalation exposure, particularly given the time people spend in closed indoor environments.

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

A characterization and an exposure risk assessment of microplastics in settled house floor dust in Istanbul, Turkey

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in settled house floor dust from homes in Istanbul, Turkey. The study found that polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common polymer types, and risk assessments indicated extremely dangerous contamination levels. Evidence indicates that humans face higher exposure to indoor microplastics through ingestion than inhalation, with infants at particularly elevated risk compared to other age groups.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments of a developing country in South Asia: abundance, distribution, morphology, and possible sources

Researchers quantified airborne microplastic concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments in a South Asian developing country, characterizing particle abundance, size distribution, morphology, and potential sources, finding significant microplastic air pollution in a lower-middle-income country context.

2022 Figshare 1 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
Article Tier 2

Assessing Microplastic Distribution in Indoor Environments: A Case Study of a University Facility in Kuala Lumpur

Microplastics were detected in the indoor air and settled dust of a Malaysian university building at concentrations averaging 156 particles per cubic metre in offices and 104 in classrooms, with estimated daily adult intakes of over 150 microplastic particles per kilogram of body weight per day. These findings confirm that indoor environments — where people spend the majority of their time — are a significant and often overlooked route of human microplastic inhalation and ingestion.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
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

Airborne Microplastic Concentrations in Five Megacities of Northern and Southeast China

Researchers used uniform sampling methods to measure airborne microplastic concentrations across five major cities in northern and southeastern China. They found that indoor environments generally had higher microplastic levels than outdoor air, with fibers being the most common particle type. The study provides some of the first directly comparable data on airborne microplastic exposure across multiple cities, suggesting that people in densely populated areas face meaningful inhalation risks.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 170 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the hidden pollutants in the indoor environment: Focus on microplastic pollution and its related risks in the educational institutions of megacity, Bangladesh

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in classroom dust at educational institutions in Dhaka, Bangladesh, finding significant levels of contamination in indoor environments where children spend much of their day. The most common particles were fibers from synthetic textiles, and the concentrations varied based on room type and ventilation. Since children breathe closer to the ground and have developing lungs, this indoor microplastic exposure is a health concern that deserves attention.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations