A poor man’s air filter is the Corsi Rosenthal Box using a 20″ fan and 4 2″x20″x20″ Merv 13 filters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corsi–Rosenthal_Box. Have been using one since the pandemic changing filters a couple of times a year.
It turns out we may be breathing in a lot more plastic than scientists expected.
Aug. 2, 2025
You could be inhaling more than 71,000 microscopic plastic fragments every day while at home or cruising in your car, a new study suggests.
The microplastics, most of which are smaller than a speck of dust and seven times thinner than the width of a hair, are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs, the authors say.
“The concentration we found is 100-fold higher than previous extrapolated estimates,” said authors Nadiia Yakovenko and Jeroen Sonke in an interview with PLOS One, the peer-reviewed journal where the study was published Wednesday.
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Plastic particles have been found all around us, from our water and food to the air we breathe. It has been found in almost every organ, including the brain, heart, breast milk and, yes, lungs.
“The findings from this paper make a lot of sense,” said Miriam Diamond, an environmental chemist and professor at the University of Toronto who is not affiliated with the study. “We know that we’re exposed indoors to plastic additives, but the mechanism (of exposure) was always a little bit questionable.”
How much plastic are you breathing?
The researchers, from the Université de Toulouse in France, took seven samples of air from their own homes and five from their cars. These were analyzed using a technique called Raman spectroscopy, to determine the concentration of microplastics suspended in air.
They counted a median 528 microplastics for every cubic metre of indoor space in the average home. In the car, the number quadrupled to 2,238 microplastics per cubic metre.
Out of these, 94 per cent were smaller than 10 micrometres in length — tiny enough to penetrate deep into the lungs.
Based on that, the team estimated that adults will inhale around 68,000 microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres while indoors every day, and about 3,200 plastics between 10 to 300 micrometres in size.
“People spend an average of 90 per cent of their time indoors, including homes, workplaces, shops, transportation, etc.,” the authors said. “All the while they are exposed to microplastic pollution through inhalation without even thinking about it.”
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Wait, why do cars have so many microplastics?
Car cabins are small, often enclosed spaces mostly made of synthetic materials like plastic, from the dashboard to seat coverings.
These materials can shed tiny plastic particles as they go through the wear-and-tear of daily use, solar irradiance, friction and heat: “Just imagine a car that was baking outside during the heat wave,” Diamond said. “Temperatures can be extraordinarily high, so that’s going to promote a breakdown of plastic.”
Furthermore, studies show that plastics in cars are often more toxic because they contain greater levels of flame retardants, Diamond continued.
“Unlike homes, car cabins often have limited ventilation, allowing microplastic particles to accumulate and concentrate in the air,” the researchers continued. “As a result, they can be inhaled in higher amounts during regular commutes or long drives.”
Are microplastics bad for you?
The science is still out on exactly how microplastics are affecting our health, but there have been hints.
Evidence has linked the plastics and their additives to a greater risk of heart disease, various types of cancer, neurodegenerative disease, infertility, birth defects, organ damage and more.
Much of the harm comes from the toxic additives they may carry, from dyes to UV blockers such as bisphenol A or phthalates, Yakovenko and Sonke said.
“When microplastics are inhaled, these tiny particles can enter deep into our respiratory system and potentially cause inflammation or irritation,” the authors said.
Diamond added that the type of plastic and its shape also factor in. “A microplastic made of styrene is way more toxic than a microplastic made of polyethylene or polypropylene,” she said, while a sharp, jagged microplastic is more likely to cause damage than a round one.
The authors hope their findings could help guide public health recommendations, indoor air quality standards or even affect the products and materials we use in the future.
“I hope that our findings will raise awareness about indoor air as a significant source of microplastic exposure through inhalation,” they said.
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