Volume 8, Issue 1 (March 2023)
J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2023, 8(1): 1865-1866 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Atafar Z, Hosseinpoor S, Mohammadi A. Microplastics as New Air Pollutants. J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2023; 8 (1) :1865-1866
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-585-en.html
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-585-en.html
Climate Change and Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Full-Text [PDF 432 kb]
(420 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (702 Views)
Full-Text: (174 Views)
Microplastics as New Air Pollutants
Zahra Atafar 1, Saeed Hosseinpoor 2,3, Amir Mohammadi 2,3,4*
1 Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
2 Climate Change and Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
3 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
4 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Zahra Atafar 1, Saeed Hosseinpoor 2,3, Amir Mohammadi 2,3,4*
1 Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
2 Climate Change and Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
3 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
4 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| A R T I C L E I N F O | ||
| LETTER TO EDITOR | *Corresponding Author: Amir Mohammadi Email: mohammadiurm@gmail.com Tel: +98 44 32752300 |
|
Article History: Received: 15 December 2022 Accepted: 21 February 2023 |
||
Citation: Atafar Z, Hosseinpoor S, Mohammadi A. Microplastics as New Air Pollutants. J Environ Health Sustain Dev. 2023; 8(1): 1865-6.
Microplastics (MPs) are broadly used in manufacturing and everyday life, as they are very light, flexible, and durable. MPs with a size range of 1 μm to 5 mm are defined as emerging pollutants that persist and accumulate in the environment. These particles are generated due to the degradation of plastics, such as the fibers from synthetic materials 1.
Over the past sixty years, plastic production has increased each year from 1 to 300 million tons (Plastics Europe 2013) 2. After use, plastic debris break down to millimetric and inframillimetric particles. MPs can be classified into two groups according to their origins; Primary MPs, which are mainly produced in micro-sizes (< 5 mm); and secondary MPs originating from the breakdown of larger plastic particulars 3. MPs are extremely diverse in terms of chemical structure, specific density, size, shape, and color. These factors are very significant in their final environmental fate and bioavailability 4. The atmosphere is a known place for the accumulation and distribution of MPs. However, the form of MPs in the atmosphere is found fragmented. In the few studies conducted on the subject, MP fibers were observed with a length of less than 5 μm, and a diameter of 3 μm 5.
Atmospheric MPs significance may be underestimated or overestimated with other compounds as a part of air pollutants. No studies have been found that fully show the characteristics of MPs. Particle characteristics like density, diameter, atmospheric factors, and geographic characteristics, such as wet deposition, dominant wind, urban topography, and temperature might affect straight distribution, movement, and persistence duration of MPs in the air 6. Different types of MPs found in the ambient air consist of anthropogenic form of PVA (poly vinyl acetate); PUR (polyurethane); PET (polyethyleneterephthalate); PE (polyethylene); PES (polyester); PAN (polyacrylonitrile); PAA (poly N-methyl acrylamide); RY (rayon); EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate); EP (epoxy resin); ALK (alkyd resin); and natural structure (cotton and wool). These are classified into fragments, films, foam, granules, microbeads and fibers. The common form of MPs in the air is fiber 7 8.
These particles have potential for penetration into the respiratory system due to their fine size. Several studies reported that MPs had high toxic properties to aquatic organisms by accumulation, obstruction, and inflammation in tissues after transposition 9.
It is ambiguous that exposure to airborne MPs could be a threat for human health, due to their unconfirmed potential extended effects. The final route of breathing MPs and their accumulation
in the respiratory system is unknown 10. Furtheremore, it seems that many other polluatnts that are present in the form of airborn particles, such as transition metals, hydrocarbons (organic compounds), and pathogenic agents had synergistic health effects. However, the risks of inhaling microplastics and their fate in the body is unclear. For example, inhaled MPs can penetrate to the blood circulatory system and be transported to mediastinal lymph nodes. Of course, according to the World Health Organization, there is still no acceptable evidence of the harmful effects of microplastics. However, this issue needs more extensive and detailed research. But the health effects of human exposure can include digestive and respiratory effects, oxidative stress and cancer.
This is an Open-Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work for commercial use.
Refrences
1. Vivekanand AC, Mohapatra S, Tyagi VK. Microplastics in aquatic environment: Challenges and perspectives. Chemosphere. 2021;282:131151.
2. Eriksen M, Lebreton LC, Carson HS, et al. Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PloS one. 2014;9(12):111913.
3. Gasperi J, Dris R, Mirande-Bret C, et al., editors. First overview of microplastics in indoor and outdoor air. 15th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment; 2015.
4. Rocha-Santos T, Duarte AC. A critical overview of the analytical approaches to the occurrence, the fate and the behavior of microplastics in the environment. Trends Analyt Chem. 2015;65:47-53.
5. Szymańska M, Obolewski K. Microplastics as contaminants in freshwater environments: a multidisciplinary review. Int J Ecohydrol Hydrobiol. 2020;20(3):333-45.
6. Bertrim C, Aherne J. Moss Bags as Biomonitors of Atmospheric Microplastic Deposition in Urban Environments. Biology. 2023;12(2):149.
7. Abdolahnejad A, Gheisari L, Karimi M, et al. Monitoring and health risk assessment of phthalate esters in household’s drinking water of Isfahan, Iran. Environ Monit Assess. 2019;16:7409-16.
8. Enyoh CE, Verla AW, Verla EN, et al. Airborne microplastics: a review study on method for analysis, occurrence, movement and risks. Environ Monit Assess. 2019;191:1-17.
9. Rakib M, Jahan R, Sarker A, et al. Microplastic Toxicity in Aquatic Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems: a Review. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2023;234(1):1-28.
10. Costa-Gómez I, Suarez-Suarez M, Moreno JM, et al. A novel application of thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry for polystyrene quantification in the PM10 and PM2. 5 fractions of airborne microplastics. Sci Total Environ. 2023;856:159041.
Over the past sixty years, plastic production has increased each year from 1 to 300 million tons (Plastics Europe 2013) 2. After use, plastic debris break down to millimetric and inframillimetric particles. MPs can be classified into two groups according to their origins; Primary MPs, which are mainly produced in micro-sizes (< 5 mm); and secondary MPs originating from the breakdown of larger plastic particulars 3. MPs are extremely diverse in terms of chemical structure, specific density, size, shape, and color. These factors are very significant in their final environmental fate and bioavailability 4. The atmosphere is a known place for the accumulation and distribution of MPs. However, the form of MPs in the atmosphere is found fragmented. In the few studies conducted on the subject, MP fibers were observed with a length of less than 5 μm, and a diameter of 3 μm 5.
Atmospheric MPs significance may be underestimated or overestimated with other compounds as a part of air pollutants. No studies have been found that fully show the characteristics of MPs. Particle characteristics like density, diameter, atmospheric factors, and geographic characteristics, such as wet deposition, dominant wind, urban topography, and temperature might affect straight distribution, movement, and persistence duration of MPs in the air 6. Different types of MPs found in the ambient air consist of anthropogenic form of PVA (poly vinyl acetate); PUR (polyurethane); PET (polyethyleneterephthalate); PE (polyethylene); PES (polyester); PAN (polyacrylonitrile); PAA (poly N-methyl acrylamide); RY (rayon); EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate); EP (epoxy resin); ALK (alkyd resin); and natural structure (cotton and wool). These are classified into fragments, films, foam, granules, microbeads and fibers. The common form of MPs in the air is fiber 7 8.
These particles have potential for penetration into the respiratory system due to their fine size. Several studies reported that MPs had high toxic properties to aquatic organisms by accumulation, obstruction, and inflammation in tissues after transposition 9.
It is ambiguous that exposure to airborne MPs could be a threat for human health, due to their unconfirmed potential extended effects. The final route of breathing MPs and their accumulation
in the respiratory system is unknown 10. Furtheremore, it seems that many other polluatnts that are present in the form of airborn particles, such as transition metals, hydrocarbons (organic compounds), and pathogenic agents had synergistic health effects. However, the risks of inhaling microplastics and their fate in the body is unclear. For example, inhaled MPs can penetrate to the blood circulatory system and be transported to mediastinal lymph nodes. Of course, according to the World Health Organization, there is still no acceptable evidence of the harmful effects of microplastics. However, this issue needs more extensive and detailed research. But the health effects of human exposure can include digestive and respiratory effects, oxidative stress and cancer.
This is an Open-Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work for commercial use.
Refrences
1. Vivekanand AC, Mohapatra S, Tyagi VK. Microplastics in aquatic environment: Challenges and perspectives. Chemosphere. 2021;282:131151.
2. Eriksen M, Lebreton LC, Carson HS, et al. Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PloS one. 2014;9(12):111913.
3. Gasperi J, Dris R, Mirande-Bret C, et al., editors. First overview of microplastics in indoor and outdoor air. 15th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment; 2015.
4. Rocha-Santos T, Duarte AC. A critical overview of the analytical approaches to the occurrence, the fate and the behavior of microplastics in the environment. Trends Analyt Chem. 2015;65:47-53.
5. Szymańska M, Obolewski K. Microplastics as contaminants in freshwater environments: a multidisciplinary review. Int J Ecohydrol Hydrobiol. 2020;20(3):333-45.
6. Bertrim C, Aherne J. Moss Bags as Biomonitors of Atmospheric Microplastic Deposition in Urban Environments. Biology. 2023;12(2):149.
7. Abdolahnejad A, Gheisari L, Karimi M, et al. Monitoring and health risk assessment of phthalate esters in household’s drinking water of Isfahan, Iran. Environ Monit Assess. 2019;16:7409-16.
8. Enyoh CE, Verla AW, Verla EN, et al. Airborne microplastics: a review study on method for analysis, occurrence, movement and risks. Environ Monit Assess. 2019;191:1-17.
9. Rakib M, Jahan R, Sarker A, et al. Microplastic Toxicity in Aquatic Organisms and Aquatic Ecosystems: a Review. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2023;234(1):1-28.
10. Costa-Gómez I, Suarez-Suarez M, Moreno JM, et al. A novel application of thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry for polystyrene quantification in the PM10 and PM2. 5 fractions of airborne microplastics. Sci Total Environ. 2023;856:159041.
Type of Study: Letters to editor |
Subject:
Air and waste management
Received: 2022/12/15 | Accepted: 2023/02/21 | Published: 2023/03/27
Received: 2022/12/15 | Accepted: 2023/02/21 | Published: 2023/03/27
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
