Simulating human exposure to indoor airborne microplastics using a Breathing Thermal Manikin
Vianello A, Jensen RL, Liu L, Vollertsen J (2019). Scientific Reports.
What they found
A breathing manikin in three apartments sampled 1.7–16.2 microplastic particles per cubic metre of air, analysed by FTIR imaging down to 11 µm. Synthetic particles were about 4% of identified particles (protein 91%, cellulose 4%). Polyester dominated (81%), then polyethylene (5%) and nylon (3%), and microplastics tended to be smaller than natural particles.
- Sample
- 3 apartments (Denmark)
- What it can't tell you
- Only three homes, sampled briefly. Particles under 11 µm, the most inhalable, were not counted. A manikin estimates what reaches the nose, not what deposits in lungs. No health measurements.
- Funding
- No funding statement found in the open-access full text; authors declare no competing interests.
- Topics
- Air and dust
- Checked against
- Abstract (Europe PMC, PMID 31209244); COI from open-access full text (PMC6573036)