By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

(CNN) — Thousands of microplastics so small they can penetrate deep into the lungs are in the air you breathe in your home and car, a new study has found.

The particles are likely the result of the degradation of plastic-filled objects such as carpet, curtains, furniture and textiles and the plastic parts of car interiors, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One .

“People spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, including homes, workplaces, shops, transportation … all the while they are exposed to microplastic pollution through inhalation without even thinking about it,” senior study author Jeroen Sonke and lead author Nadiia Yakovenko said in a joint statement.

“Microplastics in the air, especially indoors, may be an invisib

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