Homes under the Microscope
A citizen-led project to investigate airborne microplastics in the home.
What's the issue?
Plastic containing textiles are woven into our daily lives. They are in the clothes we wear, the carpets we walk on and the curtains and cushions we decorate our homes with. When we use these textiles, friction causes tiny fragments or fibres to be released into the air where they can remain for hours or even days. But we don’t know much about these airborne microplastics, how common they are or what can be done to reduce them.
What we aim to learn
In this study we want to count how many airborne microplastic particles there are in a wide range of different houses. We will also examine what they are made of, which will help us understand where they come from. This is the first step in a two-step project, and in this first phase we also want to check that the tools and kit we have developed work well and are simple to use.
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Samples uploaded
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Citizen scientists
Become a citizen scientist and help us
Join us and find out how many microplastics are in your home! Be part of a community of citizen scientists answering important questions and making a real difference to society.