Scientists tested their homes and cars. They were inhaling 68,000 microplastics every day
The study was on a tiny scale, with 16 air samples taken across three apartments and two cars, but it focused on detecting smaller microplastics compared to other experiments, which have typically focused on larger particles.
'We found that over 90 per cent of the microplastic particles in indoor air, across both homes and cars, were smaller than 10 micrometres (µm) – small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs,' wrote the authors, led by Nadiia Yakovenko from the University of Toulouse in France.
'This was also the first study to measure microplastics in the car cabin environment, and overall, we detected indoor concentrations up to 100 times higher than previous extrapolated estimates – revealing indoor air as a major and previously underestimated exposure route of fine particulate microplastic inhalation.'
The researchers estimated in PLOS One there were 528 microplastic particles per cubic metre in their apartments and 2238 per cubic metre in their cars.
When they combined their results with previously published data, the authors estimated adults may inhale 3200 larger microplastics, sized between 10 and 300 micrometres, per day. For the microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres, which is about seven times thinner than a hair strand, it was 68,000 particles per day.
Smaller microplastics can reach the alveoli, tiny air sacks in the lungs which move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide.
The study's focus on under-studied particles under 10 micrometres is valuable, said environmental health scientist Professor Kevin Thomas, but its conclusions should be taken with caution given the limited sample size and because measuring tiny particles comes with higher uncertainty.
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ABC News
06-08-2025
- ABC News
Cockatoos that feel the beat perform 30 distinct dance moves, study shows
Cockatoos can head-bang, body roll and side-step intentionally to music, according to a new study by Charles Sturt University. Researchers have analysed 45 social media videos of cockatoos dancing and identified 30 distinct movements, 17 of which had never been documented before. In the study, published today in the journal PLOS One, researchers found some cockatoos had their own signature moves, unique to each individual, while other species appeared to favour different styles. To further investigate the behaviour of the cockatoos, the research team went beyond the screen and into the field to Wagga Wagga Zoo in New South Wales. There, they studied six cockatoos, including two Major Mitchells, two sulphur-crested cockatoos and two galahs. Over a 20-minute period, each bird experienced either silence, music or a podcast. Lead researcher Natasha Lubke chose the playlist, opting for Avicii's The Nights for the music and She's on the Money for the podcast. "It's a great podcast. We're just educating the birds on their finances," Ms Lubke joked. One particularly enthusiastic Major Mitchell cockatoo made a total of 257 moves in sequence while listening to a 20-minute loop of The Nights. In both parts of the study — the online video analysis and the zoo observation — dancing was observed in 10 of the 21 known cockatoo species in the Cacatuidae family of the parrot species. Many of the dance moves were similar to courtship displays, indicating their dancing may have originated as courtship behaviour that has been redirected towards their owners. Spontaneous dancing in time to music had only been officially recorded in humans until Snowball, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, went viral for dancing to the Backstreet Boys more than a decade ago. In 2019, in a Current Biology study, professor of psychology at Tufts University, Aniruddh Patel, and his colleagues explored Snowball's ability to dance spontaneously, challenging the long-held belief that sophisticated movement to music was uniquely human. The study showed that Snowball developed 16 distinct moves without any formal training to dance. But it was not known if other cockatoos would develop other moves, or if a parrot's dance moves were largely determined by its genetic makeup as a member of a particular species. "By studying dancing to music in numerous parrots across several species, the new study found 17 new moves, and also showed that relatedness between species did not predict how similar the dance moves of different parrots were," Professor Patel said. While it may seem like an amusing curiosity, for scientists it raises many questions. "Why is this behaviour seen in parrots but not in our closest living relatives — chimpanzees and bonobos — when raised by humans?" Professor Patel said. "After all, ape brains are much closer to ours in size and overall structure than parrot brains are, and genetically parrots are more closely related to extinct dinosaurs than to humans." Scientists are developing neuroscientific theories to explain the mystery of why dancing to music emerges without any special training in some human-raised parrots but not in human-raised apes. It's still unclear what motivates cockatoos to dance. Ms Lubke has a theory. "That rules out the theory they're just dancing because people are dancing. I think they're definitely dancing, and it appears to be a form of play behaviour — they're doing it because they're in a positive welfare state." Researchers hope the discovery could lead to new ways to enrich the lives of captive birds — particularly intelligent parrots who may suffer in environments lacking stimulation. "The similarities with human dancing make it hard to argue against well-developed cognitive and emotional processes in parrots," said co-author Rafael Freire, an expert in animal behaviour. "Playing music to parrots may improve their welfare," Professor Freire said. "Further research would be beneficial to determine if music can trigger dance in captive birds and serve as a form of environmental enrichment."
Sydney Morning Herald
30-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Scientists tested their homes and cars. They were inhaling 68,000 microplastics every day
Researchers who tested their homes and cars for airborne microplastics have reported that levels of the ultra-small pollutants, capable of penetrating deep into our lungs, may be 100 times higher than previously estimated. The study was on a tiny scale, with 16 air samples taken across three apartments and two cars, but it focused on detecting smaller microplastics compared to other experiments, which have typically focused on larger particles. 'We found that over 90 per cent of the microplastic particles in indoor air, across both homes and cars, were smaller than 10 micrometres (µm) – small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs,' wrote the authors, led by Nadiia Yakovenko from the University of Toulouse in France. 'This was also the first study to measure microplastics in the car cabin environment, and overall, we detected indoor concentrations up to 100 times higher than previous extrapolated estimates – revealing indoor air as a major and previously underestimated exposure route of fine particulate microplastic inhalation.' The researchers estimated in PLOS One there were 528 microplastic particles per cubic metre in their apartments and 2238 per cubic metre in their cars. When they combined their results with previously published data, the authors estimated adults may inhale 3200 larger microplastics, sized between 10 and 300 micrometres, per day. For the microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres, which is about seven times thinner than a hair strand, it was 68,000 particles per day. Smaller microplastics can reach the alveoli, tiny air sacks in the lungs which move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. The study's focus on under-studied particles under 10 micrometres is valuable, said environmental health scientist Professor Kevin Thomas, but its conclusions should be taken with caution given the limited sample size and because measuring tiny particles comes with higher uncertainty.
The Age
30-07-2025
- The Age
Scientists tested their homes and cars. They were inhaling 68,000 microplastics every day
Researchers who tested their homes and cars for airborne microplastics have reported that levels of the ultra-small pollutants, capable of penetrating deep into our lungs, may be 100 times higher than previously estimated. The study was on a tiny scale, with 16 air samples taken across three apartments and two cars, but it focused on detecting smaller microplastics compared to other experiments, which have typically focused on larger particles. 'We found that over 90 per cent of the microplastic particles in indoor air, across both homes and cars, were smaller than 10 micrometres (µm) – small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs,' wrote the authors, led by Nadiia Yakovenko from the University of Toulouse in France. 'This was also the first study to measure microplastics in the car cabin environment, and overall, we detected indoor concentrations up to 100 times higher than previous extrapolated estimates – revealing indoor air as a major and previously underestimated exposure route of fine particulate microplastic inhalation.' The researchers estimated in PLOS One there were 528 microplastic particles per cubic metre in their apartments and 2238 per cubic metre in their cars. When they combined their results with previously published data, the authors estimated adults may inhale 3200 larger microplastics, sized between 10 and 300 micrometres, per day. For the microplastics smaller than 10 micrometres, which is about seven times thinner than a hair strand, it was 68,000 particles per day. Smaller microplastics can reach the alveoli, tiny air sacks in the lungs which move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. The study's focus on under-studied particles under 10 micrometres is valuable, said environmental health scientist Professor Kevin Thomas, but its conclusions should be taken with caution given the limited sample size and because measuring tiny particles comes with higher uncertainty.
