Ecological and human health risks of atmospheric microplastics (MPs): a review

Yao, Xuewen; Luo, Xiao-San; Fan, Jiayi; Zhang, Tingting; Li, Hanhan; Wei, Yaqian

doi:10.1039/d2ea00041e

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 193 publications

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“…4 However, a much clearer understanding of the levels present with improved standardised methods was required before risks could be assessed. Recent work on inhalation (see, for example, Yang et al 2021;Yao et al 2022;Guanglong et al 2023) found that urban areas could contain high concentrations outside from sources such as textiles and vehicle tyres, brakes, etc., but the concentration of microplastic particles indoors tended to be higher from textiles, furniture, building materials, and human activities. A significant potential pathway for micro-and nanoplastics is to enter the lungs along the trachea, pass into the blood vessels through migration, and then spread through the circulatory system so that a wide range of cells, tissues, organs, and systems could be exposed.…”

Section: Extended Producer Responsibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Update on the EASAC Plastics Report: Towards a Plastics Treaty

2024

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Section: Extended Producer Responsibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Update on the EASAC Plastics Report: Towards a Plastics Treaty

2024

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“…Microplastics, plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm, could be a global environmental threat due to their worldwide presence and potential risks to ecosystems and human health. , By 2019, global plastic production reached 368 million tons, with roughly 60% of the waste material ending up in landfills or the natural environment . Among discarded plastics, ∼6.5–27% are microplastics .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic Emission from Soil-Air Interface

Yang,

Lu,

Peng

et al. 2024

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

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To bridge the gap in understanding soil−air microplastic emissions, here we studied the soil−air transfer mechanism of microplastics with laboratory simulations using microplastic particles varying in size from 1 to 5000 μm. Our findings indicate that the size and shape of the microplastics together with the soil type and moisture levels are major determinants of the microplastic enrichment ratio (ER) in dust, overshadowing the role of polymer types. Notably, microplastic pellets larger than 20 μm do not enrich in dust, while microplastic fibers, even those as large as 500−5000 μm in length, do enrich in dust. Based on our ER measurement, the global microplastic size distribution in soil and dust aerosol production flux, we made a preliminary bottom-up assessment of global soil microplastic emissions of 48[0.4−1217] kilotons/year. Our pioneering findings on the global atmospheric soil−air microplastic flux provide insights that could guide the future development of a more precise microplastic emission inventory.

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“…This ubiquity of MPs in the atmosphere means that humans are potentially at risk. Humans can be exposed to MPs through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact, with potential consequences such as lung inflammation, immune and metabolic issues, DNA damage, and oxidative stress, causing issues in the respiratory, digestive, immune, reproductive, and nervous systems [31][32][33][34][35]. All of these health risks show the urgency of increasing our knowledge about the level of airborne MPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…reproductive, and nervous systems [31][32][33][34][35]. All of these health risks show the urgency of increasing our knowledge about the level of airborne MPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Lichens and Mosses as Biomonitors of Airborne Microplastics

2023

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The atmosphere is an important pathway for microplastic (MP) transport; however, observations are limited, as traditional sampling methods are generally labor-intensive. Biological monitors (biomonitors) have been widely used as a simple alternative to determine the abundance or presence of anthropogenic pollutants. Here, we compared the effectiveness of co-located lichen and moss species as biomonitors of the atmospheric deposition of microplastics. Samples of the epiphytic lichen Evernia prunastri and the epigeic moss Pseudoscleropodium purum were collected from five remote areas of central Italy. A total of 154 MPs were found across all samples, 93.5% of which were fibers and 6.5% were fragments. The accumulation of MPs for lichens (range of 8–12 MP/g) was significantly lower than for mosses (12–17 MP/g), which might be related to their structural characteristics or habitat positions (epiphytic versus epigeic). Nonetheless, higher accumulation facilitates analytical determination and provides greater separation from the limit of detection, suggesting that mosses are preferred over lichens for studying the deposition of airborne MPs. This study further suggests that biomonitoring may be an effective tool to assess the spatial distribution of atmospheric microplastics, which is a key requirement for the development of waste mitigation policies.

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Ecological and human health risks of atmospheric microplastics (MPs): a review

Abstract: Microplastics (MPs) in the atmosphere are ubiquitous and persistent emerging pollutants, which have been an environmental issue of global concern. This overview summarizes the sources, morphological size and compositional characteristics,...

Cited by 23 publications

References 193 publications

Update on the EASAC Plastics Report: Towards a Plastics Treaty

Update on the EASAC Plastics Report: Towards a Plastics Treaty

Microplastic Emission from Soil-Air Interface

Comparison of Lichens and Mosses as Biomonitors of Airborne Microplastics

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