Although the health impacts of microplastics have yet to be fully quantified, what we know so far points to a number of adverse effects — and newly published research identified yet another sneaky route for plastic particulate matter to make its way into the human body.
What's happening?
Microplastics are, as the name suggests, particles of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters in size.
The omnipresence of microplastics in oceans, soil, the food chain, and our broader environment is not exactly news, but scientists continue to uncover novel information about their prevalence.
Airborne microplastics have been the subject of recent studies, including one focused on the floating pieces of plastic that contaminate crops consumed by herbivores and carnivores alike.
Courthouse News Service recently covered a new study, describing it as "the first comprehensive measurement of ultrafine plastic particles in indoor air." As is often the case with microplastic-related studies, the authors' findings were graver than they expected.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One on July 30, determined that airborne nanoplastics are a "major and previously underestimated" source of exposure. The findings showed indoor air concentrations 100 times higher than previous estimates.
In all, they measured median values of over 500 particles of microplastics per cubic meter in apartments, a number that rose to nearly 2,300 airborne particles in car cabins. Worryingly, 94% of the particles were "under 10 micrometers," small enough to penetrate lung tissue.
Why are these findings important?
In addition to their alarm over the higher-than-expected concentration levels, the study's authors were unsettled by the proliferation of plastic pollution we can't see.
"The biggest concern is how small these particles are, completely invisible to the naked eye. We inhale thousands of them every day without even realizing it," they said.
"Deep inside our lungs, microplastics release toxic additives that reach our blood and cause multiple diseases," the researchers added.
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Yes — often 😬 A battery of research shows potential impacts on brain and blood health, links to higher rates of cancer, and concerning reproductive effects, among myriad related findings — all worrisome.
What's being done about it?
Research into how microplastics impact the health of humans and animals is ongoing, as are studies about the environmental scope of the problem.
Microplastics are unfortunately present in the air, soil, and water, and the study into airborne particles underscores how pervasive this form of contamination truly is.
At a personal level, using less plastic can limit direct exposure to microplastics while generating less of this dangerous waste.
Replacing everyday items with plastic-free alternatives further reduces contamination from the items we use most often.
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