Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Quantifying the Chemical Composition and Real-Time Mass Loading of Nanoplastic Particles in the Atmosphere Using Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed the first real-time method to measure nanoplastic particles in the air using a specialized instrument called an aerosol mass spectrometer. They detected polystyrene nanoplastics at an urban site in China at concentrations of around 47 nanograms per cubic meter, confirming that we are breathing in tiny plastic particles. This tool could help researchers better understand how much airborne nanoplastic pollution people are actually exposed to.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Real-Time Detection of Urban Atmospheric Micro–Nanoplastics and Their Chemical Mixing State Using Bioaerosol Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a real-time detection system for atmospheric micro-nanoplastics in urban air, characterizing their chemical composition, mixing states, and interactions with atmospheric species. The system revealed that urban MNPs form complex associations with organic and inorganic atmospheric compounds, influencing their transport properties and environmental reactivity.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitation of Atmospheric Suspended Polystyrene Nanoplastics by Active Sampling Prior to Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a method to measure polystyrene nanoplastics suspended in outdoor air using active air sampling and a specialized chemical analysis technique. They detected nanoplastics at multiple locations, confirming that these ultra-small plastic particles are present in the air we breathe. Since nanoplastics are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, reliable measurement methods like this are critical for understanding airborne exposure risks.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 42 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel online method for the detection, analysis, and classification of airborne microplastics

Researchers developed an online method for real-time detection, analysis, and automated classification of airborne microplastics, enabling continuous monitoring of plastic particle concentrations and polymer types in ambient air without the time-consuming sample preparation required by conventional methods.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of synthetic polymers in ambient aerosols by Curie Point Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Researchers used pyrolysis-based gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect and quantify synthetic polymers and tire wear particles in ambient urban air. The study confirmed that multiple plastic types circulate as airborne particles in cities, contributing to human inhalation exposure on a daily basis.

2023
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in urban air: polymer composition, interactions and inhalation risk

Researchers characterized airborne micro- and nanoplastics in urban air using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on size-fractionated aerosol samples. The study found total concentrations averaging 0.6 micrograms per cubic meter, with tire wear particles as a dominant source, highlighting an underestimated threat to urban air quality and human respiratory health.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The quantification of the airborne plastic particles of 0.43–11 μm: Procedure development and application to atmospheric environment

Researchers developed a new method for measuring airborne plastic particles as small as 0.43 micrometers, a size range rarely studied before. Testing the approach in real atmospheric conditions, they detected multiple types of plastic polymers in the air, including polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET, providing evidence that people are regularly breathing in ultrafine plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 37 citations
Article Tier 2

HoLDI mass spectrometry for rapid, solventless detection of airborne nanoplastics and co-occurring aerosol organics

Scientists developed a new, faster way to detect tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe, both indoors and outdoors. The method found plastic particles from common materials like polyethylene in indoor air and cancer-causing chemicals attached to nano-sized particles in outdoor air. This breakthrough could help us better understand how much plastic pollution we're breathing in and its potential health risks.

2026
Article Tier 2

Plastic burning: An important global source of atmospheric nanoplastic particles

Researchers conducted smoldering laboratory experiments with PVC, PP, LDPE, PET, and PS plastics and used aerosol mass spectrometry to characterise the physical and chemical properties of nanoplastic particles emitted, finding that plastic burning generates large quantities of nanoplastics and thermo-oxidation products that represent a significant but poorly quantified global source of atmospheric nano-sized plastic particles.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the air: a review

This review examines the occurrence, sources, physicochemical characteristics, and sampling and analytical methods for microplastics and nanoplastics in atmospheric air across urban, industrial, coastal, and remote environments. The authors find that fibers and fragments are the dominant atmospheric microplastic forms, that no standardized sampling methods currently exist, and that both passive and active collection approaches are used across the literature with limited comparability.

2025 Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology/Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Fine micro- and nanoplastics particles (PM2.5) in urban air and their relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Researchers measured ultrafine micro- and nanoplastics in urban air at the individual polymer level for the first time, finding correlations between airborne plastic particle concentrations and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, suggesting plastics act as carriers for toxic compounds.

2023 Atmospheric Environment 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Single Particle Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe-Mass Spectrometry for Multimodal Analysis of Microplastics

Researchers developed an atmospheric solid analysis probe coupled to mass spectrometry for rapid chemical characterization of single microplastic particles, enabling polymer identification while remaining compatible with complementary imaging techniques for comprehensive microplastic analysis.

2022 Analytical Chemistry 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-Resolved Identification and Quantification of Micro/Nanoplastics in Indoor Air Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography–Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a new method to measure micro and nanoplastics in indoor air down to 56 nanometers in size, using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. They found significant concentrations of plastic particles in both a laboratory and a private home, with polystyrene being the most common type, and also detected flame retardant chemicals associated with plastic furniture foam. This study provides some of the first evidence that people are breathing in substantial amounts of nanoscale plastic particles indoors, where most people spend the majority of their time.

2024 Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of the Morphological and Chemical Profile of Different Families of Microplastics in Samples of Breathable Air

Researchers characterized the morphological and chemical profiles of airborne microplastics collected from breathable air samples, finding diverse polymer types and particle shapes and examining how these particles are transported through the atmosphere to the air people breathe.

2023 Molecules 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical tool for the characterization of indoor airborne microplastics and nanoplastics

This review covers recent mass spectrometry-based analytical methods for determining the size, chemical identity, and quantity of microplastics and nanoplastics in indoor air and dust. It highlights how advances in single-particle mass spectrometry are enabling more sensitive detection of nano-sized plastic fragments in indoor environments.

2021 Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Size Distributionof Micro-/Nanoplastic Particlesand Their Chemical Speciation in the Atmosphere of Shanghai, China

Researchers characterized the size distribution and chemical speciation of micro- and nanoplastic particles collected from environmental samples, finding a continuous size spectrum from microns to nanometers and detecting additive chemicals co-associated with the particles.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A Novel Strategy to Directly Quantify Polyethylene Microplastics in PM2.5 Based on Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a new method using pyrolysis gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to directly measure polyethylene microplastics in fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5). This technique overcomes limitations of visual and spectroscopic methods that struggle to detect very small plastic particles in air samples. The study provides one of the first tools for accurately quantifying microplastics in PM2.5, helping researchers better understand the extent of airborne plastic pollution.

2023 Analytical Chemistry 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Single-Particle Analytical Technique for Inhalable Airborne Microplastic Particles by the Combined Use of Fluorescence Microscopy, Raman Microspectrometry, and SEM/EDX

Researchers developed a new method combining fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy to analyze individual airborne microplastic particles small enough to inhale. The technique can identify both the polymer type and chemical composition of particles under 10 micrometers found in urban air samples. Better tools for characterizing breathable microplastics are essential for understanding respiratory exposure risks.

2023 Analytical Chemistry 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Laboratory Investigation of Nanoplastic Mixing States with Water-Soluble Coatings using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a new method to detect tiny plastic particles in the air and see what other chemicals stick to them, like salts and acids. They found that these nanoplastics can pick up different coatings as they float through the atmosphere, which changes how they move and where they end up. This matters for human health because understanding how these plastic particles travel and what they carry with them helps us predict where they might be breathed in by people.

2026
Article Tier 2

Size-resolved identification and quantification of micro/nano-plastics in indoor air using pyrolysis gas chromatography-ion mobility mass spectrometry

A novel pyrolysis gas chromatographic cyclic ion mobility mass spectrometer method was developed to identify and quantify micro- and nanoplastics smaller than 1 micrometer in indoor air, finding four common plastic types in tested samples.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Real-Time Detectionof Urban Atmospheric Micro–Nanoplasticsand Their Chemical Mixing State Using Bioaerosol Single-Particle MassSpectrometry

Researchers developed a bioaerosol single-particle mass spectrometry (Bio-SPAMS) approach for real-time detection of polystyrene micro-nanoplastics in urban air, identifying three diagnostic tracer ions as unambiguous PS markers and revealing that PS MNPs constitute 1.04% of total aerosols in a Chinese megacity. Approximately 76% of detected PS MNPs showed co-detection with nitrate and sulfate signatures, demonstrating active atmospheric aging via secondary pollutant uptake.

2025 Figshare
Systematic Review Tier 1

A review of airborne micro- and nano-plastics: Sampling methods, analytical techniques, and exposure risks.

This review of 140 articles on airborne micro- and nanoplastics found that diverse sampling and analytical methods make cross-study comparisons difficult, limiting exposure risk assessment. The authors recommend standardization of methods and highlight that active samplers and FTIR/Raman spectroscopy are the most commonly used approaches for collecting and identifying atmospheric plastic particles.

2024 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles

Researchers quantified microplastics and polymer additives in airborne samples to assess inhalation exposure, finding synthetic particles across multiple size fractions in outdoor air. The study highlights airborne microplastics as a significant and often underestimated route of human plastic exposure.

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

Plastic and rubber polymers in urban PM10 by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Researchers developed a method to measure microplastic and rubber particles in urban air pollution (PM10) using pyrolysis and mass spectrometry. They found that plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, and tire wear particles accounted for 1-3% of total airborne particulate matter sampled at a busy street in Helsinki. The findings confirm that people in urban areas are continuously inhaling microplastic and rubber particles from traffic and other sources.

2025 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 2 citations