Researchers have found unexpectedly high levels of methylsiloxanes, a class of silicone compounds, present in air samples from cities, rural areas, and forests around the world. The study links much of the pollution to vehicle emissions from engine oil additives. Experts warn that daily human inhalation of these substances may exceed exposure to other known pollutants like PFAS.
The findings come from a team at Utrecht University and the University of Groningen. They measured the compounds across sites in the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Brazil. Concentrations reached 98 nanograms per cubic meter in São Paulo and dropped to 0.9 nanograms per cubic meter in a Lithuanian forest. The pollutants accounted for 2 to 4.3 percent of total organic aerosols in the samples tested.
