A Preliminary Assessment of Size-Fractionated Microplastics in Indoor Aerosol—Kuwait’s Baseline

Abstract

The omnipresence of microplastic (MP) in various environmental samples, including aerosols, has raised public health concerns; however, there is presently very limited information on MPs in indoor aerosol. This paper presents a unique dataset where smaller MPs have been sampled using a six-stage cascade impactor from indoor environments in Kuwait. The MP concentration in the indoor air varied between 3.2 and 27.1 particles m−3, and the relative MP concentration decreased linearly from the lowest to the highest size fraction. A significant effect of location was observed for the total number of MPs (F2,14 = 5.80, p = 0.02) and the inhalable fraction (F2,14 = 8.38, p = 0.005), while location had no effect on the respirable fraction (F2,14 = 0.54, p = 0.60). A significant effect of the type of air conditioning used was also observed for the total number of MPs (F2,19 = 5.58, p = 0.01) and the inhalable fraction (F2,19 = 6.45, p = 0.008), while location had no effect on the respirable fraction (F2,19 = 1.30, p = 0.30). For the total number of MPs and the inhalable fraction, the concentration was significantly higher for the split unit air-conditioning as compared to the central air-conditioning plants. The presence/absence of carpets had no significant effect on the MP concentrations (total: F1,19 = 4.08, p = 0.06; inhalable: F1,19 = 3.03, p = 0.10; respirable: F1,19 = 4.27, p = 0.05). The shape was dominantly fibers, with few fragments in lower size fractions. These datasets represent the first baseline information for Kuwait, and the smaller MPs in all the samples further underscore the need to develop standardized protocols of MP collection in the ≤2.5 µm fraction that can have more conspicuous health implications.

Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Aerosols: Baseline from Kuwait

“…We further believe that the stochastic elements comprising organic and inorganic contaminants often interact with inherent microbial communities making the situation even more complex [ 50 , 55 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ]. It is also noteworthy to take into consideration the dose metrics and the chemistry of the aerosols in addition to the types and characteristics of ARGs, for a comprehensive risk assessment [ 26 ].…”

Residential houses — a major point source of microplastic pollution: insights on the various sources, their transport, transformation, and toxicity behaviour

“…However, houses with wooden flooring have also been found to be contaminated, particularly with polyvinyl microplastics, and this was attributed to the wide application of polyvinyl in wooden finishings and linoleum floorings (Soltani et al 2021 ). However, a study conducted by Uddin et al ( 2022 ) in Kuwait is an exception as they had not observed any influence of carpets on the overall microplastic concentration. Therefore, it should be noted that though different sources release microplastics into the indoor spaces, factors like ventilation, airflow, resuspension of microplastics, and cleaning habits determine the number of microplastics eventually accumulating in the indoor environment (Liao et al 2021 ; Yao et al 2022 ).…”

“…Besides, the colour of indoor microplastics also reportedly varies with the colour of clothes used in different activities like drying, washing, or sewing (Aslam et al 2022 ). Furthermore, the concentration of microplastics was noted to decrease with an increase in size (Jenner et al 2021 ; Torres-Agullo et al 2022 ; Uddin et al 2022 ).…”

Atmospheric microplastics: exposure, toxicity, and detrimental health effects

“…In general, site furniture represents an essential source of MPs in the indoor air because the tiny fibers of furniture, curtains, carpets and other objects can be released into the air. 30 Also, the use of air conditioners, 37,38 paint coatings, and the type of floor 39 influence the concentration of MPs suspended indoors.…”