IISER study finds Kolkata has the highest levels of inhalable microplastics in the air, followed by Delhi.

IISER researchers estimate that the average Kolkata resident inhales around 2.9 grams of microplastics over their lifetime—about the same as ingesting a small plastic bottle.

Researchers estimate that the average Kolkata resident inhales around 2.9 grams of microplastics over a lifetime – roughly the equivalent of a small plastic bottle.

According to a recent study by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, every breath we take may contain not only dust and smoke but also microscopic plastic particles.

These tiny particles, known as inhalable microplastics (iMPs) and measuring less than 10 micrometers, have become a significant yet invisible part of urban air pollution.