Identifying plastics and related chemicals in household dust

This project aims to assess the impact of major roads on concentrations of microplastics and plastic related chemicals (e.g. tyre additive chemicals) in balcony dust and indoor dust, by collecting dust samples from a range of indoor residences.

The participants will be members of the general community who reside within areas of high traffic throughout or near major roadways. The participants will be asked to self-collect a wipe sample of the dust on their outdoor balconies or indoor environments (e.g. window ledges, blinds, ceiling fans) which will be sent to the laboratory for analysis for a range of common polymers (e.g. polyethylene, polystyrene, tyre wear) and common plastic additive chemicals (e.g. plasticisers, tyre additive chemicals).

The expected outcomes are providing key information on the impact of roads on our indoor environments and thus identifying key sources of human exposure to these contaminants.

Eligibility 

Participants will be recruited from the general population, starting with students and employees located at UQ.

Participants will be chosen based on the location of their primary residence, with position of the residence, location to major roadways, and if the residence has a balcony or outdoor private area the key criteria for participation.

They will be provided the Participant Information Form (PIF) and consent form prior to participation and provided the opportunity to ask any questions to the researchers before agreeing to participating in the study. Should the participant decide to withdraw, all the information collected from/about them will be destroyed and will not be used in the research.

Register your interest 

Register your interest here. 

This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No.2023/HE001255].