Review of microplastics in the indoor environment: Distribution, human exposure and potential health impacts

M Dewika; Kalaimani Markandan; N Ahmad Irfan; Muhammad Amirul Aizat Mohd Abdah; J Nor Ruwaida; Y Y Sara; Mohammad Khalid

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138270

Review of microplastics in the indoor environment: Distribution, human exposure and potential health impacts

Chemosphere. 2023 May:324:138270. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138270. Epub 2023 Mar 4.

Authors

M Dewika¹, Kalaimani Markandan², N Ahmad Irfan³, Muhammad Amirul Aizat Mohd Abdah⁴, J Nor Ruwaida⁵, Y Y Sara⁶, Mohammad Khalid⁷

Affiliations

¹ Centre of American Education, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: dewikan@sunway.edu.my.
² Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
³ Centre of American Education, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁴ Graphene & Advanced 2D Materials Research Group (GAMRG), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Sunway Materials Smart Science & Engineering (SMS2E) Research Cluster, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia.
⁵ Air Resources Research Laboratory, Malaysia Japan International Institute of Technology, 54100, UTM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁶ Faculty of Civil Engineering & Technology, University Malaysia Perlis, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian Jejawi 3, 02600, Arau, Perlis, Malaysia.
⁷ Graphene & Advanced 2D Materials Research Group (GAMRG), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Sunway Materials Smart Science & Engineering (SMS2E) Research Cluster, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia; Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhand, India. Electronic address: khalids@sunway.edu.my.

PMID: 36878370
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138270

Abstract

The emergence of microplastics (MPs) pollution as a global environmental concern has attracted significant attention in the last decade. The majority of the human population spends most of their time indoors, leading to increased exposure to MPs contamination through various sources such as settled dust, air, drinking water and food. Although research on indoor MPs has intensified significantly in recent years, comprehensive reviews on this topic remain limited. Therefore, this review comprehensively analyses the occurrence, distribution, human exposure, potential health impact and mitigation strategies of MPs in the indoor air environment. Specifically, we focus on the risks associated with finer MPs that can translocate into the circulatory system and other organs, emphasizing the need for continued research to develop effective strategies to mitigate the risks associated with MPs exposure. Our findings suggest that indoor MPs impose potential risk to human health, and strategies for mitigating exposure should be further explored.

Keywords: Health risk; Human exposure; Indoor ambient; Indoor fallout; MPs; Planetary health.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Dust / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Pollution / analysis
Humans
Microplastics* / toxicity
Plastics / adverse effects

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics
Dust