Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Simulating microplastics path in human airways

This study used computational fluid dynamics to simulate how microplastic particles of varying sizes and shapes travel through human airways, generating data to inform understanding of deposition patterns and respiratory health risks.

2024 Scilight
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric aerosol-microplastics intake and deposition in the alveolar region by considering dynamic behavior of acinar airways

Researchers analyzed the intake and deposition of atmospheric aerosol-associated microplastics in the alveolar region of the lung by modeling the dynamic behavior of acinar airways. The study improved understanding of how airborne microplastic particles are transmitted through the deepest regions of the respiratory system under physiologically realistic conditions.

2025 PLoS ONE
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

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

How microplastics are transported and deposited in realistic upper airways?

This study used computer modeling to simulate how microplastic particles travel and deposit in realistic human upper airway anatomy. Researchers found that larger, irregularly shaped microplastics deposit more readily in the nose and throat compared to smaller spherical particles. The results help explain where inhaled microplastics are most likely to accumulate in the respiratory system, informing health risk assessments.

2023 Physics of Fluids 42 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

Breathing in danger: Mapping microplastic migration in the human respiratory system

This study used computer modeling to simulate how microplastic particles travel through the human airways when we breathe. Smaller particles and fibers penetrate deeper into the lungs, and faster breathing pushes more particles into the upper airways. The findings help explain where microplastics are most likely to settle in the respiratory system, which is important for understanding potential lung damage from airborne plastic pollution.

2024 Physics of Fluids 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and deposition of microplastics and nanoplastics in the human respiratory tract

Using computer modeling of the full human respiratory tract, researchers found that both micro- and nanoplastics deposit in distinct patterns depending on particle size, shape, and breathing rate, with faster breathing pushing more particles into the upper airways. This study helps identify which areas of the lungs are most vulnerable to plastic particle buildup, which is important for understanding long-term respiratory health risks.

2024 Environmental Advances 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Regional and population-scale trends in human inhalation exposure to airborne microplastics: Implications for health risk assessment

Scientists built a model of how inhaled microplastics deposit throughout the human respiratory tract and found that the smallest particles (0.1-5 micrometers) penetrate deepest and contribute most to internal accumulation over time. The study also found that infants, children, and the elderly are most vulnerable to short-term airborne microplastic exposure, while adolescents and adults face greater risk from long-term accumulation.

2025 Environmental Pollution 17 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

Probabilistic Estimation of Airborne Micro- and Nanoplastic Intake in Humans

Using probability-based modeling, researchers estimated that humans inhale over 1,200 micro- and nanoplastic particles per day, with indoor environments being the primary source of exposure. Children face higher exposure relative to their body weight, and the annual intake of airborne microplastics is estimated at around 13 milligrams per person, highlighting inhalation as a major and previously underappreciated route of human microplastic exposure.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of airborne microfibers in the human respiratory tract in different microenvironments

Researchers modeled how airborne microplastic fibers deposit and clear from the human respiratory tract across different indoor and outdoor environments. They found that the largest fiber doses accumulated during bus travel and in certain indoor settings, with most deposited fibers eventually being cleared from the lungs to the digestive tract. The study suggests that inhaled microplastics represent a meaningful exposure pathway, particularly in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of indoor building air microplastics on human living environment health: A biomechanical perspective

This review examines how indoor microplastics—shed from textiles, coatings, and plastic products—enter the body through inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion, and what health risks they pose from a biomechanical perspective. Evidence suggests that inhaled particles accumulate in the lungs and may trigger respiratory inflammation, allergic reactions, and chronic disease, with potential systemic effects via the bloodstream.

2025 Molecular & cellular biomechanics
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Chinese Children: Associations with Age, City Development, and Disease Features

Microplastics were detected in nearly 90% of lung fluid samples from Chinese children with respiratory diseases, with an average of about 4 particles per 10 milliliters. Younger children and those living in more developed urban areas had higher levels, likely due to more indoor crawling behavior and greater surrounding plastic use. This is significant because it confirms that children are inhaling microplastics into their lungs, and younger children may be especially vulnerable.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Australian indoor air: Abundance, characteristics, and implications for human exposure

Researchers measured airborne microplastics inside buildings in Queensland, Australia, and found the highest concentrations at a childcare center. Children are especially vulnerable because they breathe faster relative to their body size and spend significant time in indoor environments. The study estimates that Australians inhale thousands of microplastic particles each year, with children potentially receiving the highest dose.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastics in Human Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid: Preliminary Evidence of Respiratory Exposure to Environmental Contaminants

Researchers analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from eight adult patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy and detected microplastics in the samples using microscopy, providing preliminary direct evidence that airborne microplastics deposit in the human respiratory tract.

2025 Cureus
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in settled indoor dust: Implications for human exposure

Researchers measured microplastics in household and workplace dust in Birmingham, UK, finding that homes — especially carpeted ones — had higher concentrations than offices, and that toddlers may ingest roughly twice as many microplastic particles per day as adults due to their smaller body size and floor-level activities.

2025 Emerging contaminants 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular interactions and dynamics of microplastics in indoor dust with lung-inflammatory receptors: A study in academic settings

Researchers used molecular simulation to study how microplastics in indoor dust interact with lung-lining lipid molecules, finding that MP surfaces adsorb lung surfactant components in ways that could impair pulmonary surfactant function and increase inflammatory signaling after inhalation.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and its Harmful Effects on Humans: A Review

This review examines how inhaled microplastic particles can penetrate deep into human tissue and enter the bloodstream, potentially contributing to cardiovascular disease, neurological impairment, immune dysfunction, and cancer, with children facing disproportionately higher risks due to greater air intake relative to body weight.

2023 International Journal of Zoological Investigations 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Fallout in Different Indoor Environments

Researchers tracked microplastic fallout in indoor environments (dormitory, office, corridor) over three months and found that higher human activity on workdays and airflow from air conditioning increased microplastic deposition rates, identifying indoor air as a significant exposure route.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 404 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing inhalation intake of microplastics using MPPD model

Researchers used a computer model from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to estimate how many airborne microplastics people inhale and where they deposit in the lungs. They found that the estimated mass deposited in human lungs ranged from about 19 to 50 micrograms, with the deep lung region being of particular concern because particles there are cleared very slowly. The study highlights the urgent need to better measure the size distribution of airborne microplastics in the breathable range to accurately assess inhalation risks.

2025 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Methodology, characterization, and multiple-path particle dosimetry modeling of laboratory inhalation exposure for micro-nanoplastic particles in rodents

Researchers developed and characterized a standardized methodology for exposing rodents to inhaled micro- and nanoplastic particles at concentrations representative of environmental and occupational settings. The study used polyamide-12 particles and computational modeling to estimate respiratory deposition patterns in both rats and humans, providing a validated framework for future inhalation toxicology studies on plastic particles.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Systematic Review Tier 1

The Effect of Nanoplastics and Microplastics on Lung Morphology and Physiology: a Systematic Review

This systematic review examines how inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics affect lung structure and function. The research found that indoor microplastic concentrations are often higher than outdoor levels due to household materials shedding fibers, and that inhaled particles can accumulate in different parts of the lungs. These findings suggest that breathing in plastic particles at home and work could contribute to respiratory health problems over time.

2024 The Medical and Ecological Problems 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics deposition on human lung airways: A review with computational benefits and challenges

This review examines how microplastics deposited in human lungs can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced lung function. Because these tiny particles can reach deep into the lungs where oxygen enters the blood, they raise concerns about long-term respiratory disease and the possibility of spreading to other organs.

2024 Heliyon 126 citations