Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) have been consistently detected within indoor and outdoor air samples. Locations with high human activity are reported to have high MP levels. The aim was to quantify and characterise the MPs present within the surgical environment over a one-week sampling period. MPs were collected in samplers placed around an operating theatre and adjoining anaesthetic room at 12 h intervals. Particles were filtered onto 0.02 µm membranes and analysed using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The number of MPs identified during the working day sampling period varied, with a mean of 1,924 ± 3,105 MP m⁻² day⁻¹ and a range of 0 – 9,258 MP m⁻² day⁻¹ observed in the theatre, compared with a mean of 541 ± 969 MP m⁻² day⁻¹ and a range of 0 – 3,368 MP m⁻² day⁻¹ for the anaesthetic room. Across both rooms and at all sampling points, an increase in levels with a decrease in MP size was observed. Identified particles consisted of mainly fragment shaped MPs (78 %) with polyethylene terephthalate (37 %), polypropylene (25 %), polyethylene (7 %) and nylon (13 %) representing the most abundant polymer types. MPs were not detected in the theatre during non-working hours. The results provide novel information on defining polymer levels and types, in a room environment where the use of single plastics has been regarded as beneficial to practice. These results can inform cellular toxicity studies, investigating the consequences of human MP exposure as well as represent a potentially novel route of exposure for humans for this emerging contaminant of concern, via surgery.

在室内和室外空气样本中一直检测到大气微塑料 (MP)。据报道，人类活动频繁的地点具有较高的 MP 水平。目的是在一周的采样期内量化和表征手术环境中存在的 MP。MPs 被收集在放置在手术室周围的采样器中，并以 12 小时为间隔与麻醉室相邻。颗粒被过滤到 0.02 µm 膜上，并使用微傅里叶变换红外光谱进行分析。在工作日采样期间确定的 MP 数量各不相同，平均值为 1,924 ± 3,105 MP m ⁻² day ⁻¹，范围为 0 – 9,258 MP m ⁻² day ⁻¹与 541 ± 969 MP m ⁻² day ⁻¹的平均值和 0 – 3,368 MP m ⁻² day ^{−1的范围相比}对于麻醉室。在两个房间和所有采样点，观察到水平增加而 MP 大小减小。已识别的颗粒主要由碎片状 MPs (78%) 组成，其中聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 (37%)、聚丙烯 (25%)、聚乙烯 (7%) 和尼龙 (13%) 代表最丰富的聚合物类型。非工作时间未在剧院内发现国会议员。结果提供了关于定义聚合物水平和类型的新信息，在室内环境中，单一塑料的使用被认为有利于实践。这些结果可以为细胞毒性研究提供信息，调查人类 MP 暴露的后果，并代表人类通过手术接触这种新兴污染物的潜在新途径。