New research suggests humans could be breathing in up to 11 pieces of plastic an hour

A study by Alvise Vianello, who researches microplastic pollution at Aalborg University in Denmark, has suggested that while people spend time indoors they are unwittingly inhaling tiny plastic particles shed by all the plastic in the room.

The study saw breathing "mannequin" breathing in up to 11.3 microplastic - which can cause damage lung tissues, lead to cancer, asthma attacks and other health problems - each hour.

Vianello's colleague, Jes Vollertsen told Vice: "This is the first evidence of human exposure to microplastic through breathing indoor air."

Joana Correia Prata, a PhD student at the University of Aveiro in Portugal, added: "[Microplastic] particles and fibers, depending on their density, size, and shape, can reach the deep lung causing chronic inflammation."

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