Scientists issue warning after discovering dangerous health threat lingering in air: ‘Raises serious concerns’

Plastics have become an inherent material in our world — and people are trying to make an effort to reduce the use of this material in their day-to-day lives. A new report published in Scientific Reports has emerged detailing airborne microplastics. 

What’s happening?

Scientists from the Ministry of Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the Department of Environmental Sciences at Savitribai Phule Pune University collaborated to measure the amount of plastic in urban air, and their findings were alarming. 

A team investigating levels of airborne microplastics designated a collection site in a high-traffic urban area in Delhi, India, which has a population of about 30 million residents. 

Researchers investigating the phenomenon found a total of 2,087 microplastics in the air across all samples taken during the study. The findings have emphasized the significance microplastics have as an element contributing to urban air pollution.

Why is the presence of microplastics important?

If these microplastics are as small as the name implies, why have they become such a growing concern among experts in the field? 

Although the microplastics identified in the study range in size from 1 micrometer to 1,000 micrometers, it is the microscopic characteristic of these particles that makes them particularly dangerous to the human body. Researchers noted that the study “raises serious concerns about their potential health effect.” With each particle found, they were small enough for a human to inhale, potentially damaging to the respiratory system, and they are conducive to long-lasting systemic health issues.

Researchers are particularly concerned about how these particles may affect vulnerable populations, such as children and infants.

What’s being done about microplastics?

Researchers associated with the study urge urban air quality management parties to integrate this newfound information into pollution mitigation strategies to protect both human health and the surrounding environment. 

As for those not involved in any community-wide strategies who are looking for ways to reduce the introduction of new microplastics into the air, there are ways to improve your home health and prevent the airborne spread of microplastics. 

To do so, you can follow proper recycling practices, encourage local management to include microplastics in air quality monitoring, and take steps to eliminate unnecessary plastics in your home and daily life.

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