Investigation of Health and Environmental Effects of Airborne Microplastics

Airborne microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter, with primary and secondary sources that come into contact with the human body in various ways. Due to their widespread distribution in the environment, they can pose a threat to other living organisms and even non-living elements. The aim of the current study is to investigate the health and environmental effects of airborne microplastics.

In the initial search for articles, a total of 163 articles were found from 2018 to 2023, which was reduced to 107 after removing duplicates. Then, during the screening stage, the titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed, resulting in 31 articles remaining. The full text of the screened articles was studied to obtain relevant articles, and finally, 27 articles were used in the present study.

Airborne microplastics exhibit various characteristics in terms of shape, size, and color. They are distributed from various sources such as clothing, vehicle tires, and healthcare products. In addition to their effects on the environment (vegetation, soil, aquatic animals, polar ice, etc.), these particles can also have destructive effects on the human body, including endocrine disorders, weakness in the nervous system, energy metabolism disorders, asthma, and even cancer.

Due to their widespread distribution, high resistance, and especially their potential effects on living organisms, airborne microplastics can be considered a serious global threat. With the anticipated increasing trend of the presence of these particles in our environment, more studies are needed to determine the effects of airborne microplastics on human health and the environment as much as possible.