Overview

• Adults may inhale as many as 68,000 microplastic particles smaller than 10 µm per day in homes and cars, according to a PLOS One study led by Nadiia Yakovenko.
• More than 90 percent of detected indoor particles were under 10 µm, small enough to penetrate deep into lung tissue and reach the alveoli.
• Researchers recorded concentrations of 528 particles per cubic metre in apartments and 2,238 per cubic metre in car cabins, far exceeding previous extrapolations.
• The analysis was based on just 16 air samples from three apartments and two vehicles, a scale that experts say limits representativeness and increases measurement uncertainty.
• Authors warn that inhalation of fine microplastics may contribute to lung inflammation, tissue damage and related diseases, but larger studies are needed to confirm health risks.