New study claims we're breathing in tens of thousands of harmful microplastics every day

People could be breathing in up to 68,000 particles of potentially harmful microplastics each and every day, new research has revealed.

A study in France analysing the amounts of microplastics found in cars and in homes has found the level of lung-penetrating microplastics is 100 times higher than previously thought.

Samples were collected from researchers' own apartments and cars, using a technique called Raman spectroscopy to measure concentrations of microplastics in 16 air samples.

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It found 94 per cent of the detected particles were smaller than 10 micrometres, meaning they are more likely to penetrate the lungs.

This means the health risk from inhaling microparticles could be higher than previously thought.

Inhaling microplastics can lead to impaired lung function, respiratory conditions and organ damage.

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"Everywhere we look, we find microplastics, even in the air we breathe inside our homes and cars; the biggest concern is how small these particles are – completely invisible to the naked eye," the study's authors said.

"We inhale thousands of them every day without even realising it. Deep inside our lungs, microplastics release toxic additives that reach our blood and cause multiple diseases."

The authors said the levels of microplastics found in cars were higher than in apartments, but argued the difference was insignificant due to the difference in environment.

Responding to the study, Professor Thava Palanisami from the University of Newcastle said it raises concerns surrounding the long-term impact of microplastics on human health.

"This study reveals that tiny plastic particles in the air we breathe indoors – especially in homes and cars – are far more prevalent than previously thought," he said.

"These small particles can penetrate deeply into our lungs, raising new concerns about how prolonged exposure to everyday plastics may impact our health over time."

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