Found an error?
Report now
According to the study, the main sources of microplastic pollution are the abrasion of textiles, plastic furniture or the interior trim of vehicles. (archive image)
Keystone
According to calculations, people breathe in significantly more microplastics than previously assumed. According to a study, an average of around 68,000 plastic particles could enter the respiratory tract of an adult every day, especially indoors - and around 47,000 for children.
The researchers led by Nadiia Yakovenko from the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Toulouse report in the journal PLOS One that the exposure to particularly small particles between one and ten micrometres in diameter is far higher than previously assumed.
Particles of this size are considered particularly problematic because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and potentially cause inflammation, cell damage or other health problems. Earlier estimates based on larger particles were around a hundred times lower.
The exposure was measured in private homes and car interiors in the south of France, among other places. 94 percent of the particles found were smaller than ten micrometres, i.e. capable of penetrating the lungs.
31.07.2025, 00:40
