Industrial Hazards from Microplastics Emissions

How Air Cleaning Can Help

From the tires on your car and the plastic toys your children play with, to the fabric that makes up your clothing, to the coating on your daily pill, all are examples of products that contain microplastics.

While the need for these goods will continue, the occupational hazards that exist for the workers who create them should not.

What Are Microplastics?

Though some plastics are made from natural materials like wood and rubber, the vast majority are synthetic. Both biologic and artificial plastics contain toxic substances that break down into potentially hazardous microplastics.

Microplastics are, as the word suggests, tiny bits of plastic. To meet the criteria of “micro”, particles need to be less than 5 millimeters in size. The term generally refers to debris found in the environment, either inside or outdoors. In this article, the focus is on indoor microplastic emissions, specifically in industrial settings.

Industrial Applications Affected by Microplastics

There are countless industries that manufacture products containing microplastics. While the goods themselves do not cause inherent health risks, the production of them does.

Listed below are a sampling of industries and products they manufacture containing microplastics:

Automotive – dashboards, tires, upholstery

Beverage – water bottles, juice packaging, coffee pods

Home Building – engineered stone countertops, bathroom vanities

Cosmetic/Personal Care – exfoliants, scrubs, toothpaste

Pharmaceutical – packaging, coatings on pills and capsules

Textile – polyester and nylon fibers in clothing, linens, and draperies

Health Risks from Microplastics

What makes microplastic inhalation so threatening is not just particulate offsetting but the toxicity of the substances that form microplastics. Chemical additives such as phthalates, BPA, and PFAs, along with heavy metals such as cadmium, nickel, and chromium, are all properties that can be found in microplastics and all present an occupational threat to workers when released into the air they breathe.

The main health risk of microplastic particle inhalation is respiratory in nature. What begins as inflammation can reduce lung function and bring on asthma and chronic bronchitis. If the duration of exposure is ongoing, diseases such as pneumonitis can develop, or worse, lung or blood cancer.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions

Unfortunately for workers in the microplastics industry, eliminating the source of risk – the products made from microplastics – is not an option.  But there are ways to protect personnel from the health hazards associated with plastic emissions. 

To reduce the risk of health complications resulting from microplastic particle inhalation, workplaces should be thoroughly cleaned and equipment routinely maintained. Employees should wear personal protective equipment, such as facemasks. The most effective means of guaranteeing a clean indoor air environment is by controlling particulates via source capture and extraction. Our SP987-3 Portable Air Cleaner and SP-800 Portable Fume Extractor are two such products that effectively eliminate impurities at the source.

To ensure your workplace has an IAQ that is healthy for all employees, contact an AIR Systems, Inc. specialist to evaluate and offer control measures for your manufacturing business.