Characterization of microplastics in outdoor and indoor air in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India: First insights from the region

Shreya Nandi; Radhakrishnan Naresh Kumar; Abisheg Dhandapani; Jawed Iqbal

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123543

Characterization of microplastics in outdoor and indoor air in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India: First insights from the region

Environ Pollut. 2024 Apr 1:346:123543. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123543. Epub 2024 Feb 15.

Authors

Shreya Nandi¹, Radhakrishnan Naresh Kumar², Abisheg Dhandapani³, Jawed Iqbal⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, 835215, Jharkhand, India. Electronic address: shreyan6@gmail.com.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, 835215, Jharkhand, India. Electronic address: rnaresh@bitmesra.ac.in.
³ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, 835215, Jharkhand, India. Electronic address: abishegdhandapani@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, 835215, Jharkhand, India. Electronic address: jawed@bitmesra.ac.in.

PMID: 38367691
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123543

Abstract

The study focused on detecting and characterizing microplastics in outdoor and indoor air in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India during post-monsoon (2022) and winter (2023). Stereo microscopic analysis showed that plastic fibres had a dominant presence, fragments were less abundant, whereas fewer films could be detected in indoor and outdoor air. The atmospheric deposition of microplastics outdoors observed 465 ± 27 particles/m²/day in PM₁₀ and 12104 ± 665 and 13833 ± 1152 particles/m²/day in PM_2.5 in quartz and PTFE, respectively during the post-monsoon months. During winter, microplastic deposition rates in PM₁₀ samples were found to be 689 ± 52 particles/m²/day and 19789 ± 2957 and 30087 ± 13402 in quartz and PTFE particles/m²/day respectively in PM_2.5. The mean deposition rate in indoor environment during post-monsoon was 8.3 × 10⁴ and 1.03 × 10⁵ particles/m²/day in winter. During the post-monsoon period in PM₁₀, there were fibres from 7.7 to 40 μm and fragments from 2.3 μm to 8.6 μm. Indoor atmospheric microplastics, fibres ranged from 1.2 to 47 μm and fragments from 0.9 to 16 μm present respectively during the post-monsoon season. Fibres and fragment sizes witnessed during winter were 3.6-6.9 μm and 2.3-34 μm, respectively. Indoor air films measured in the range of 4.1-9.6 μm. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed that outdoor air contained polyethylene, polypropylene, Polystyrene, whereas indoor air had polyvinyl chloride. Polyethylene mainly was present in outdoor air, with lesser polypropylene and polystyrene than indoors, where polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene were in dominant proportions. Elemental mapping of outdoor and indoor air samples showed the presence of elements on the microplastics. The HYSPLIT models suggest that the particles predominantly were coming from North-West during the post-monsoon season. Principal component analysis indicated wind speed and direction influencing the abundance of microplastics. Microplastics concentration showed strong seasonal influence and potential to act as reservoir of contaminants.

Keywords: Airborne microplastics; Elemental mapping; Indoor air; Outdoor air; Post-monson; Winter.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
India
Microplastics / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Plastics / analysis
Polyethylene / analysis
Polypropylenes / analysis
Polystyrenes / analysis
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Polyvinyl Chloride / analysis
Quartz

Substances

Air Pollutants
Microplastics
Plastics
Polypropylenes
Polystyrenes
Polyvinyl Chloride
Quartz
Polyethylene
Particulate Matter
Polytetrafluoroethylene