Indoor exposure to microplastics in dust: polymeric composition and health risks in a tropical savanna climatic region

IF 3.1 4区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Air Quality Atmosphere and Health Pub Date : 2026-09-23 DOI:10.1007/s11869-026-02107-0

Raja Sibhi M, Lekshmi Mohan V, Amit Passi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Indoor dust bound microplastics (MPs) can be inadvertently inhaled or ingested, especially by children and infants. This study investigated MPs in indoor dust collected from an academic office and two residential dwellings in Tiruchirappalli, South India, representing contrasting urban microenvironments (occupational, traffic and industrial-influenced). Polymer identification using micro-Fourier infrared (µ-FTIR) spectroscopy revealed the dominance of polymers such as, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE) in indoor dust across all sites. MPs deposition differed significantly among the sites (Kruskal-Wallis, p = 0.027), with highest mean deposition recorded at academic office (Site A; 241 ± 23 particles/m²/day), followed by residence located near busy traffic area (Site C; 151 ± 24 particles/m²/day) and residence located near a small-scale industrial site with lesser traffic (Site B; 54 ± 3 particles/m²/day). The particle size also varied significantly among sites (p < 0.001), with Site A showing significantly smaller MPs (18.9 ± 11.2 μm) than Sites B and C (33–36 μm), likely due to greater occupant activity, lesser frequency of cleaning, and source diversity in the office environment. Site A recorded highest potential polyurethane (PU)- and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)- associated exposure risk (1750 hazard units), and Site C recorded a potential PU-associated hazard ranking (1500 hazard units), while Site B exhibited negligible polymer-associated potential hazard score, indicating that site classification (traffic vs. industrial) does not align with exposure risk. This study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding and characterization of the sources of indoor MPs, as mere count alone cannot determine risk and inform targeted mitigation strategies.

Graphical abstract

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室内接触粉尘中的微塑料：热带稀树草原气候区的聚合成分和健康风险

室内粉尘结合的微塑料（MPs）可能在不经意间被吸入或摄入，尤其是儿童和婴儿。本研究调查了从印度南部tiruchirapalli的一个学术办公室和两个住宅收集的室内粉尘中的MPs，代表了不同的城市微环境（职业、交通和工业影响）。利用微傅里叶红外（µftir）光谱对聚合物进行鉴定，发现在所有地点的室内灰尘中，聚合物如聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）、尼龙、聚苯乙烯（PS）和聚乙烯（PE）占主导地位。不同地点的MPs沉积差异显著（Kruskal-Wallis, p = 0.027），学术办公室的平均沉积最高（A点，241±23个颗粒/m2/d），其次是交通繁忙区域附近的住宅（C点，151±24个颗粒/m2/d），交通较少的小型工业场所附近的住宅（B点，54±3个颗粒/m2/d）。不同地点的颗粒大小也存在显著差异（p < 0.001），站点A的MPs（18.9±11.2 μm）明显小于站点B和站点C (33-36 μm)，这可能是由于人员活动较多，清洁频率较低，以及办公环境中的源多样性。站点A记录了最高的潜在聚氨酯（PU）和聚氯乙烯（PVC）相关暴露风险（1750个危险单位），站点C记录了潜在的PU相关危险等级（1500个危险单位），而站点B显示了可忽略不计的聚合物相关潜在危险评分，表明站点分类（交通与工业）与暴露风险不一致。本研究强调有必要全面了解和描述室内微污染的来源，因为仅靠计数不能确定风险并为有针对性的缓解战略提供信息。图形抽象

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来源期刊

Air Quality Atmosphere and Health ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES-

CiteScore

8.80

自引率

2.00%

发文量

146

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Air Quality, Atmosphere, and Health is a multidisciplinary journal which, by its very name, illustrates the broad range of work it publishes and which focuses on atmospheric consequences of human activities and their implications for human and ecological health. It offers research papers, critical literature reviews and commentaries, as well as special issues devoted to topical subjects or themes. International in scope, the journal presents papers that inform and stimulate a global readership, as the topic addressed are global in their import. Consequently, we do not encourage submission of papers involving local data that relate to local problems. Unless they demonstrate wide applicability, these are better submitted to national or regional journals. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health addresses such topics as acid precipitation; airborne particulate matter; air quality monitoring and management; exposure assessment; risk assessment; indoor air quality; atmospheric chemistry; atmospheric modeling and prediction; air pollution climatology; climate change and air quality; air pollution measurement; atmospheric impact assessment; forest-fire emissions; atmospheric science; greenhouse gases; health and ecological effects; clean air technology; regional and global change and satellite measurements. This journal benefits a diverse audience of researchers, public health officials and policy makers addressing problems that call for solutions based in evidence from atmospheric and exposure assessment scientists, epidemiologists, and risk assessors. Publication in the journal affords the opportunity to reach beyond defined disciplinary niches to this broader readership.