AN EFFORT TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION
More than 60 million metric tonnes of plastic fibers were produced in 2016. Fragmented fibres – fibrous microplastics – are present in outdoor and indoor air. The inhalation of airborne fibrous microplastics is a question of size. Inhaled fibrous microplastics are likely to be biopersistent. Airborne fibrous microplastics may also carry pollutants. The annual production of plastic textile fibers has increased by more than 6 per cent per year, reaching 60 million metric tonnes, about 16 per cent of world plastic production. The degradation of these fibers produces fibrous microplastics (MPs). Worldwide plastic production increases annually by approximately 3 per cent, and excluding plastic fiber production, reached 322 million metric tonnes in 2016.
Among the sources of microplastics, urban inputs such as wastewater treatment plant effluents are increasingly studied while the atmospheric comportment is most neglected.
The majority of microplastics found in the indoor air, come from plastic fibres released from synthetic clothing and textiles used in home furnishings. These microplastic fibres tend to be longer and therefore more harmful when inhaled.
Microplastics in the indoor air result from the fragmentation through friction, heat or light of plastic objects found in our homes. These include toys, furniture, plastic bags, cosmetics, toothpaste and scrubs.