Spider Webs as Passive Monitors of Microplastic and\nIts Copollutants in Indoor Environments

Indoor environments\nare particularly vulnerable to microplastics\n(MPs) and associated copollutants due to limited air circulation and\nparticulate matter accumulation. Continuous monitoring is essential\nto evaluate exposure levels and health risks. We propose using indoor\nspider webs as passive monitors for MPs and their copollutants. MPs\nwere found in both web and dust samples with nonuniform distribution\n(<i>p</i> < 0.05), indicating contamination hotspots.\nWeb samples had significantly higher MP levels (138–33,570\nMPs/g) compared to dust samples (59–9324 MPs/g). A strong positive\ncorrelation (<i>r</i> = 0.93, <i>p</i> < 0.05)\nbetween MPs in dust and webs suggests that spider webs are effective\nbioindicators of indoor MP contamination. The study also revealed\nthe presence of Bisphenol A and various phthalic acid esters (PAEs).\nCo-pollutant concentrations\nranged from 52.02–1971.78 μg/kg in webs and 43.18–518.42\nμg/kg in dust. Diethyl phthalate (DEP) was more common in webs,\nwhile Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) predominated in dust. These findings\nhighlight spider webs’ potential as both effective biomonitoring\ntools and significant sinks for MPs and their cocontaminants in indoor\nenvironments.