Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sampling strategies and analytical techniques for assessment of airborne micro and nano plastics

This review evaluates sampling strategies and analytical techniques for assessing airborne micro- and nanoplastics in indoor and outdoor environments, highlighting methodological limitations and the lack of standardization that hinder cross-study comparisons.

2023 Environment International 42 citations
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

The Current Status of Atmospheric Micro/Nanoplastics Research: Characterization, Analytical Methods, Fate, and Human Health Risk

This review synthesizes current knowledge on atmospheric micro- and nanoplastics, covering their characterization, analytical methods, environmental fate, and human health risks while highlighting the need for standardized sampling protocols to enable cross-study comparisons.

2022 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical methods, source, concentration, and human risks of microplastics: a review

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of atmospheric microplastic pollution, covering analytical detection methods, pollution sources, concentration levels, and potential human health risks from inhalation exposure. Researchers found significant variation in reported atmospheric microplastic levels due to differences in sampling and analysis methods across studies. The study calls for standardized protocols to enable meaningful comparisons and more accurate assessment of the health risks posed by airborne microplastics.

2024 Reviews on Environmental Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the atmosphere: a review

This review assessed the current state of knowledge on microplastics in the atmosphere, finding that airborne plastic particles have been detected in both indoor and outdoor environments across multiple regions worldwide. Researchers noted that comparing results across studies is difficult because sampling methods and reporting standards vary widely. The study calls for harmonized measurement approaches so that atmospheric microplastic data can be reliably used for human health risk assessments.

2022 Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment 87 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive review of micro- and nano-plastics in the atmosphere: Occurrence, fate, toxicity, and strategies for risk reduction.

This review examines a decade of research on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in the atmosphere, covering their occurrence in outdoor and indoor air, toxicological effects on human health, and strategies to reduce exposure risk from inhalation of airborne plastic particles.

2023 The Science of the total environment
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

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

Micro-Nano-Plastics in the Atmosphere: Methodology for Sampling

This review focuses on methodologies for sampling micro-nano-plastics (MNPs) from the atmosphere, addressing the absence of a standardized procedure for collection and size fractionation that currently hinders comparison of results across research groups studying atmospheric plastic aerosol.

2023 Preprints.org 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical Challenges and Strategies for Particle-Based Analysis of Airborne Micro(nano)plastics in Size-Fractionated Samples Using Microscopy, SEM/EDX, and Raman Spectroscopy

This review covered analytical strategies for characterizing airborne microplastics as particles, addressing sampling challenges, detection methods including spectroscopy, and the importance of particle-level analysis for accurate exposure assessment. It identified key methodological gaps and recommended standardization approaches.

2024 Analytical Chemistry 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Urban Ambient Air: A Rapid Review of Active Sampling and Analytical Methods for Human Risk Assessment

This review evaluated methods for sampling and analyzing microplastics in outdoor urban air to assess human health risks. Active air sampling combined with advanced techniques like micro-Raman spectroscopy can measure the smallest inhalable particles, which are most relevant to health. The authors found that fibers are the most common airborne microplastic and stress that better standardized methods are needed to understand how much microplastic people actually breathe in.

2024 Environments 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a standardized methodology for the identification and characterization of airborne microplastics in working spaces

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for identifying and characterizing microplastics in both outdoor and indoor atmospheric samples, addressing the absence of harmonized protocols that limits comparability across airborne microplastic studies. The standardized approach improved reproducibility and allowed more accurate assessment of human inhalation exposure in different environments.

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

Microplastic in the Air

This review provides a comprehensive overview of methods for collecting, extracting, and identifying airborne microplastics, examining their sources, transport mechanisms, and persistence in urban and atmospheric environments, and establishing a methodological foundation for future research on microplastic air pollution.

2025
Review Tier 2

A Review of the Sampling, Analysis, and Identification Techniques of Microplastics in the Air: Insights into PM2.5 and PM10

This review systematically compared methods for sampling, analyzing, and identifying microplastics in air, with special focus on the PM2.5 and PM10 fine particle fractions that are most relevant to human respiratory health. The paper identifies key gaps and recommends standardized protocols to improve comparability of airborne microplastic research.

2025 Polymers 1 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

Sampling and Detection of Microplastics in the Atmosphere

This chapter reviews how airborne microplastics are collected and identified, covering both passive methods (like deposition traps) and active sampling, along with analytical techniques such as FTIR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Standardizing these methods is critical for accurately measuring human exposure through inhalation — currently one of the least understood routes of microplastic entry into the body.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Atmosphere: Methodology for Microplastics Size-Fractionation Sampling

This review evaluates current sampling and size fractionation methods used for measuring micro- and nanoplastics in the atmosphere. Researchers found that the lack of standardized procedures makes it difficult to compare results across different studies. The study proposes a simplified, streamlined methodology that could improve consistency in atmospheric microplastic monitoring worldwide.

2024 Microplastics 14 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of analytical methods and models used in atmospheric microplastic research

This review summarizes sampling devices, pretreatment methods, identification techniques, and transport models used in atmospheric microplastic research, highlighting the need for standardized approaches to better understand airborne plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical steps for microplastics characterization from the atmosphere

This systematic review of atmospheric microplastic sampling and characterization methodologies finds that divergent results across studies stem from inconsistent collection and pre-treatment methods, and that the choice of characterization technique (FTIR vs. Raman) should be matched to the MPs' origin and environmental matrix.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 47 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of biomonitoring microplastics in environmental matrices: Emphasis on airborne particles, dry deposits, and comparative analysis with traditional methods

This systematic review examines methods for monitoring microplastics in the air, including airborne particles and deposits. Researchers have found microplastics everywhere from city streets to clouds, underscoring the extent of airborne plastic pollution that people breathe in every day.

2025 Environmental Advances 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastics: A Review Study on Method for Analysis, Occurrence, Movement and Risks

This review summarizes methods for sampling, identifying, and quantifying airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments, noting that only seven studies had been published by the time of writing. Airborne microplastics are an important exposure route because people breathe them continuously, and early studies show they are ubiquitous in both indoor and outdoor air.

2019 Preprints.org 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of screening criteria for microplastic particles in air and atmospheric deposition: critical review and applicability towards assessing human exposure

Researchers evaluated 27 studies on microplastics in air and found that most scored below 50% on quality criteria — particularly for contamination controls and measuring particles smaller than 10 micrometers — highlighting the need for standardized methods before reliable human inhalation exposure assessments can be made.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics, Toxic Effects, and Analytical Methods of Microplastics in the Atmosphere

This review summarizes current knowledge about the distribution, sources, and fate of microplastics in the atmosphere, along with their potential toxic effects on animals and humans. Researchers identified significant gaps in both quantitative analysis methods and understanding of the mechanisms behind inhaled microplastic toxicity. The study calls for improved sampling and characterization techniques to better assess the health risks of airborne microplastic exposure.

2021 Nanomaterials 51 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