US EditionHumans may be inhaling 100 times more microplastics than previously assumed, scientists warn
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS (HOMES AND CARS), JUL 30 – People inhale up to 68,000 lung-penetrating microplastic particles daily indoors, about 100 times more than earlier estimates, with higher levels found in cars than homes, researchers said.
- Researchers from the Université de Toulouse published a study on July 31, 2025, measuring microplastics in indoor air in homes and cars.
- They conducted this study after noting that people spend roughly 90% of their time indoors and are exposed unknowingly to microplastic pollution by inhalation.
- The study revealed that the median levels of microplastics in indoor air were 528 particles per cubic meter in residences and significantly higher at 2,238 particles per cubic meter inside vehicles, with the vast majority—over 90%—being smaller than 10 micrometers, allowing them to reach deep lung tissue.
- Lead author Yakovenko emphasized that their measurements revealed microplastic concentrations reaching levels about 100 times greater than earlier estimates suggested, raising significant concerns about daily inhalation of up to 68,000 fine particles.
- These results highlight indoor air as an important pathway for microplastic inhalation, underscoring the need for further investigation into associated health impacts and the development of regulatory guidelines.
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69 Articles
Alarming levels: humans could be inhaling 100 times more microplastics than expected
Interiors and cars are particularly burdened: according to a study, people breathe in up to 68,000 microplastic particles a day. That would be a hundred times more than previously assumed.
Study says humans are inhaling thousands of microplastics from air in homes and cars
A new study has found that the air in our homes and cars contains thousands of microplastics that are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, raising concerns about potential health impacts.The study was published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE by a group of researchers from a university in France. Based on the testing, the researchers believe humans may be inhaling roughly 70,000 microplastic particles per day.They discovered the part…
People breathe in more microplastics than previously thought, as a study shows. The air is particularly heavily contaminated in interiors and cars. According to researchers, the particles could penetrate deep into the lungs.
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