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A 2025 study estimated that people may inhale far more small airborne microplastics indoors than earlier calculations suggested. Its “about 100 times” comparison applies to estimated exposure to particles 1–10 micrometres across—not to every room, every particle size or a direct measurement of what any one person breathes. For building owners and construction professionals, the finding highlights a measurement and indoor-air question; it does not establish that a particular building is unsafe.
What does “100 times higher” mean?
In a study published in PLOS ONE on July 30, 2025, Yakovenko and colleagues used Raman spectroscopy to examine airborne microplastics in the inhalable 1–10 µm size range in residences and car cabins. They combined those observations with previously published indoor measurements to estimate a concentration distribution and inhalation exposure. Their estimate for this small-particle range was about two orders of magnitude above an earlier estimate extrapolated from larger particles. The authors also report that their estimate falls within the earlier study’s 95th percentile. Read the study in PLOS ONE.
That comparison is not evidence that each indoor space contains 100 times more microplastics than anyone previously measured. It reflects, in part, a change in what was measured: many earlier studies focused on particles larger than 10 or 20 µm, while the 2025 study examined particles down to 1 µm. Estimates depend on the particle-size cutoff, measurement method and whether a figure comes from direct sampling or modelling.
What concentrations and inhalation estimates did the study report?
The paper reports both observed medians in particular sampled environments and a consensus estimate assembled from multiple studies and settings. These figures describe different things and should not be read as interchangeable readings of a typical building.
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| Measure | Reported figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Residential environments | 528 particles/m³ | Median observed total suspended indoor microplastic concentration in the study’s sampled residences. |
| Car cabins | 2,238 particles/m³ | Median observed concentration in the sampled car-cabin environments. |
| Consensus estimate, 1–10 µm | 4,300 ± 2,200 particles/m³ | Estimated indoor concentration distribution combining new and previously published observations across residential, occupational and car environments. |
| Consensus estimate, 10–300 µm | 200 ± 180 particles/m³ | Estimated indoor concentration distribution for this larger size range, based on the same mixed evidence base. |
| Adult indoor inhalation, 1–10 µm | 68,000 ± 40,000 particles/day | Modelled daily exposure estimate, not a direct count of particles inhaled by an individual. |
| Child indoor inhalation, 1–10 µm | 47,000 ± 28,000 particles/day | Modelled daily exposure estimate, not an individual measurement. |
All figures in the table are reported by Yakovenko et al. in the 2025 study. The observed medians come from the environments sampled; the consensus concentrations combine different studies and environments rather than representing a population-representative survey of homes. The exposure estimates carry substantial reported uncertainty.
Why can indoor-air studies produce very different numbers?
A concentration figure is meaningful only alongside how it was obtained. A study that can identify particles down to 1 µm may count material a study with a higher detection cutoff cannot. Active air sampling and passive collection of settled particles also measure different aspects of exposure. Results can further vary with particle-identification techniques, sampling duration and the environment studied.
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For context, Ageel et al. reported average active-air concentrations of 15.6 ± 5.4 particles/m³ in 30 homes and 13.1 ± 6.5 particles/m³ in 30 workplaces in Birmingham, UK. Those 2024 results should not be compared directly with the PLOS ONE figures as though the studies used identical size ranges and methods. The Birmingham study also found differences between its sampled homes and workplaces; all sampled homes had carpeted floors, while most sampled workplaces did not. That observation does not establish that carpet causes higher concentrations or that carpeted rooms generally have higher levels. See the Birmingham study’s PubMed record.
The PLOS authors say their consensus curve does not resolve local variation associated with surfaces, human activity or aeration. The available figures therefore cannot tell a building manager what the concentration is in a specific room, or which feature of that room is responsible.
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What does the finding mean for buildings?
For construction and building operations, the study is a reason to treat indoor airborne particles as a measurement question, not a basis for declaring a material, finish or building type a microplastic source. It does not identify a construction product as the cause of the measured particles, compare building materials, or establish a construction-specific exposure threshold.
When evaluating future measurements in a building, ask what particle sizes the method detects, whether the sample is active air collection or passive deposition, how particles are identified, where and for how long sampling took place, and whether the reported value is measured directly or modelled. Without those details, comparing a number from one room or study with another can give a misleading impression of relative exposure.
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Does this mean a home or workplace is unsafe?
No health outcome was measured by the PLOS study; it estimated exposure. The UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) says, “There may be higher concentrations, and different compositions, of airborne microplastics indoors compared with outdoors,” but immediately cautions that it is difficult to draw conclusions from the available literature. COMEAP describes limited toxicological evidence suggesting possible oxidative stress, inflammation and cytotoxicity, while noting that many experimental studies have limitations in how well they represent real-world exposure. The evidence cited here does not show that ordinary indoor exposure causes lung disease or another illness. Read COMEAP’s statement on airborne nano- and microplastic particles and fibres.
Can air filtration remove airborne microplastics?
COMEAP says filters may trap airborne plastic particles, but its statement does not establish how effectively a consumer air purifier or a particular building filtration system removes microplastics, nor whether filtration reduces health risk. It also notes that dirty filters may release trapped particles. The available guidance therefore supports discussing filtration as a possible particle-control measure, not promising a specific microplastic reduction or health benefit.
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