The average person may be inhaling 68,000 tiny microplastics per day, a new study warns.That’s 100 times greater than previously estimated.These minute particles are 1-10 micrometers in diameter, far smaller than the width of a single strand of hair, and have the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs.Researchers used high-tech equipment to measure concentrations of different size microplastics in 16 air samples taken from their own apartments and cars. An average of 528 microplastic particles per cubic meter were found floating in the apartment air, according to the results.More than 22-hundred particles per cubic meter were found in the car cabins.Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that people breathe in 3,200 larger microplastic particles per day and 68,000 smaller ones.They say indoor air is “a major and previously underestimated exposure route for fine particulate microplastic inhalation.”Previous investigations have linked microplastics to numerous health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and fertility issues.Source: PLOS OneAuthor Affiliation: University of Toulouse .Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter