Noninvasive Microplastic Exposure Reduction Platform

Below is a complete, evidence‑informed concept for a noninvasive consumer platform that measures, explains, and helps reduce microplastic exposure—from first device to business model and milestones.

Executive summary

Problem: People inhale and ingest microplastics daily—especially indoors—and preliminary human studies now associate higher internal microplastic burdens with worse cardiovascular outcomes. Yet consumers have no simple way to measure their personal exposure or learn which habits reduce it. www.sciencedirect.com link.springer.com pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Solution: Aerlume™ — a lightweight wearable badge that (1) estimates your real‑time airborne microplastic exposure, (2) quietly collects a physical sample for optional lab confirmation, and (3) coaches you in the app with actionable, trackable reductions—from laundry and cleaning practices to room filtration.
Roadmap: Launch the badge + app + optional lab analysis; follow with Aerlume Air (MERV‑13+/HEPA room filters) and Aerlume Dryer (secondary dryer vent filter) to help users actively reduce exposure. www.ashrae.org www.hamilton-medical.com pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The problem we solve

Microplastics are now measurable in human tissues and indoor air. Indoor environments typically contain more airborne microplastics than outdoors, much of it shed from textiles and soft furnishings; numerous studies report indoor levels and daily inhaled counts in the hundreds, with fibers dominating. www.sciencedirect.com link.springer.comHealth signals are mounting but not yet causal. A 2024 NEJM study found that patients with microplastics/nanoplastics embedded in carotid plaques had a substantially higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over ~34 months than those without detected plastics (association, not proof of causation). This advances the case for prudent exposure reduction and better personal monitoring. www.nejm.org pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govConsumers lack tools. Gold‑standard identification of microplastics relies on µ‑FTIR, µ‑Raman, or thermal methods (e.g., Py‑GC/MS) performed in labs—excellent but costly and not real‑time. Low‑cost optical particle counters (what’s inside consumer PM2.5 monitors) can’t chemically identify plastics vs. other aerosols. www.sciencedirect.com pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govKey indoor drivers we can act on now: textile shedding (wearing, washing, drying), cleaning methods that resuspend fibers, and inadequate filtration/ventilation. Practical mitigations (e.g., wash‑aid devices, better dryer filtration, higher‑MERV HVAC or HEPA room purifiers) already show meaningful reductions. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ashrae.org

Our solution

Hardware: Aerlume™ Badge (V1)

A clip‑on wearable (~45 g) that samples your breathing zone and produces a real‑time Microplastic Index while accumulating a replaceable filter cassette for optional lab confirmation.How it works (noninvasive):

Gentle active sampling (0.5–1.0 L/min) draws air through a 1 μm PTFE filter inside a sealed cassette.
On‑board optical particle counter measures particle size bins (e.g., 0.3–10 µm).
Contextual ML model (trained on co‑located reference datasets) estimates the microplastics fraction of measured particles using features that correlate with fiber‑rich aerosols (size/shape proxies, diurnal patterns, movement context, indoor/outdoor classification).
Quick‑check option (at home): after a sampling session, the user can insert the cassette into the badge for a guided fluorescence snapshot (UV LED + phone camera) after swabbing with a single‑use dye cartridge (Nile Red‑class/TICT dyes). The app counts fluorescent particles to refine the probabilistic plastics estimate. (We flag caveats: stains can bind some lipids, so this is a screening signal—lab confirmation remains definitive.) www.sciencedirect.com pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov repository.library.noaa.gov
Lab‑grade confirmation (optional): mail the sealed cassette to a partner lab for µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman (polymer ID and size distribution) or Py‑GC/MS (mass by polymer type). Results flow into the app for calibration and long‑term trend accuracy. Commercial labs already offer these analyses. sustainabilityservices.eurofins.com sgs-institut-fresenius.de pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Why two layers (real‑time + confirmatory)?
Because optical counters alone cannot chemically distinguish plastics, while spectroscopy can—but is not portable/affordable for daily use. The hybrid approach gives users immediate guidance and a ground truth anchor when they choose to confirm. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What’s included at launch

Aerlume Badge + 12 filter cassettes (one per week is typical)
USB‑C charging, BLE connectivity
App for iOS/Android (see features below)
Optional quick‑check dye kit (single‑use swabs)
Mail‑in lab kit available in the app

Concept sketch of the first device
Download the Aerlume Badge concept image

Software: Aerlume™ App

Your Personal Microplastic Index (minute‑by‑minute and daily exposure) with context tiles: home, office, commute, gym, laundry day, etc.
Dose modeling (MP equivalents) using exposure × estimated breathing rate from motion data.
Actionable playbooks with measurable goals (e.g., “Laundry Optimization,” “Bedroom Fiber Drop,” “Office Fabric Swap,” “HEPA in High‑Shedding Room”) and projected reductions based on literature + your own data. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ashrae.org
Before/after experiments (A/B periods) to quantify impact.
Confirmatory results dashboard when a cassette is analyzed in the lab (polymer types, size bands).
Privacy: local processing for live estimates; opt‑in, anonymized telemetry for model improvements.

What’s possible for a wearable (feasibility scan)

Personal samplers for airborne pollutants are well‑established (passive silicone wristbands, lightweight wearables, and even PFAS wearables), and personal microplastics exposure has been studied with backpack or body‑worn pumps + filters. We’re adapting these paradigms for a practical consumer badge. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubs.acs.org www.mdpi.com
Spectroscopy remains the chemical gold standard (µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman, Py‑GC/MS). Our at‑home fluorescence “quick‑check” leverages common practice (Nile Red‑like dyes) but is explicitly screening‑grade and interpreted with algorithmic safeguards. www.sciencedirect.com repository.library.noaa.gov
Source controls exist now: laundry devices (e.g., Guppyfriend bag, XFiltra) reduce microfiber release; room filtration and HVAC upgrades (MERV‑13+ / HEPA) capture micro‑sized particles efficiently. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ashrae.org www.hamilton-medical.com

Underlying technology (what’s inside & how it works)

Sensor stack

Low‑noise micro‑blower and 1 µm PTFE cassette for time‑stamped collection.
Laser OPC (size bins) + IMU (activity context) + temp/RH (confounder control). (Optical particle counters are precise for counts/size bins but not polymer identity.) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Modeling
Microplastics Index = f(size‑bin features, diurnal signatures, indoor heuristics, activities, historical lab co‑labels).
Calibration pipeline: For a training cohort, we co‑locate badges with reference samplers and perform µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman on the cassettes, yielding polymer‑labeled datasets to train and continuously recalibrate the real‑time model. www.sciencedirect.com At‑home quick‑check
Single‑use dye swab (Nile Red/TICT‑class) + on‑badge UV excitation + phone camera capture → computer vision counts with false‑positive suppression (lipid‑rich material heuristics). We communicate uncertainty bands clearly. www.sciencedirect.com repository.library.noaa.gov Confirmatory analysis (partners)
Users can mail cassettes to partner labs for µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman or Py‑GC/MS. This provides polymer‑resolved ground truth and improves personalized model accuracy over time. (Multiple labs already offer these services.) sustainabilityservices.eurofins.com sgs-institut-fresenius.de pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Security & privacy
On‑device processing for live scores; encrypted backups; granular consent for data sharing; differential privacy for aggregate model updates.

What we sell at launch

Aerlume Badge Kit — badge, 12 cassettes, app access.
Aerlume Plus (optional) — quick‑check dye kit (10 uses) and one lab analysis credit.
Lab Analysis — à‑la‑carte confirmatory analysis via partner labs (µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman or Py‑GC/MS).
Subscription (optional) — advanced analytics, experiment templates, family profiles, long‑term trend insights. Roadmap add‑ons (12–24 months):
Aerlume Air: room air purifier with MERV‑13+ / HEPA‑grade modules sized for bedrooms/offices. www.ashrae.org www.hamilton-medical.com
Aerlume Dryer: secondary dryer‑vent filter and guidance flow, reducing airborne microfiber release. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Business model

Hardware margin on badge + recurring consumables (cassette packs, dye kits).
Optional subscription (analytics + experiments).
Services revenue from lab analysis (rev‑share with lab partners).
B2B/Enterprise (corporate wellness, schools, clinics) with dashboards and bulk pricing.
Downstream hardware (Aerlume Air / Dryer) to reduce exposure and close the loop.

Financial model (illustrative, conservative)

Pricing & COGS (initial)

Badge MSRP $179**; est. COGS **$ n80 (OPC, blower, MCU/BLE, battery, plastics, assembly).
Cassette 12‑pack MSRP $24**; COGS **$ n12.
Dye kit (10 uses) MSRP $29**; COGS **$ n10.
Lab analysis MSRP $299**; partner fee **$ n180 (varies by method/volume). (Note: current commercial prices for microplastic lab work are often higher; we plan volume aggregation and method selection to keep consumer prices accessible.) measurlabs.com
Subscription $8/mo**; ~80% gross margin (cloud + support). **3‑year topline view** | Year | Units (badge) | Hardware Rev | Subscriptions | Consumables | Lab Svcs | Total Rev | Gross Profit | OpEx | Op Income | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 20,000 |$ 3.58M | $n0.29M |$ 0.24M | $n0.30M | **$ 4.41M | ** $n2.45M** |$ 2.70M | − $n0.25M** | | 2 | 80,000 |$ 14.32M | $n3.07M |$ 2.30M | $n1.91M | **$ 21.61M | ** $n12.29M** |$ 7.50M | $n4.79M** | | 3 | 200,000 |$ 35.80M | $n8.64M |$ 6.72M | $n5.98M | **$ 57.14M | ** $n32.43M** |$ 14.0M | $n18.43M |

Assumptions: attach rates: Y1 30% (6 mo avg), Y2 40% (12 mo), Y3 45% (12 mo); consumables attach: Y1 50% buy 1 pack, Y2 60% buy 2 packs, Y3 70% buy 2 packs; lab tests: Y1 5% buy 1, Y2 8%, Y3 10%. COGS as listed; subscription COGS 20% of sub revenue.

Milestones (0–24 months)

0–3 months — Feasibility & design freeze
Bench prototypes (blower + OPC + cassette).
Dye chemistry selection and safety review.
Lab partner MoUs (µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman & Py‑GC/MS) + data schema.
3–6 months — Ground‑truth dataset
50–100 household pilot; co‑locate reference samplers; build labeled dataset with polymer‑resolved lab analyses.
v0 ML model; uncertainty bands and bias checks.
6–9 months — Engineering validation
DFM with CM; cassette sealing/chain‑of‑custody; battery & acoustics; EMC.
App alpha: Microplastic Index + experiments.
9–12 months — Beta & market launch
500‑user beta; finalize UX and recommendations.
Launch badge + app + lab service.
12–18 months — Reduction devices
Release Aerlume Air; publish real‑world effectiveness measured by users’ badges. www.ashrae.org
Start Aerlume Dryer pilot (secondary vent filter efficacy). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
18–24 months — Scale & validation
Peer‑reviewed white paper on personal exposure trends and intervention effects.
Enterprise dashboards; international expansion.

Why users will see change

The app’s experiment framework shows before/after exposure with your own data (e.g., swap duvet cover, add MERV‑13 filter, use Guppyfriend bag; compare 14‑day baselines to 14‑day interventions). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ashrae.org
Laundry/dryer guidance (where many fibers originate) backed by peer‑reviewed reduction data and practical fixes. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Room filtration recommendations match ASHRAE/HEPA guidance for particle sizes typical of microplastics. www.ashrae.org www.hamilton-medical.com

Important note on claims: We position Aerlume as a wellness and environmental‑exposure product, not a medical diagnostic or treatment. Health associations are evolving; we present uncertainty bounds and cite the science transparently. www.nejm.org

Risks & how we de‑risk

Specificity risk (optical vs. chemical ID): mitigated by (a) lab‑confirmed calibration loops, (b) at‑home fluorescence screening clearly marked as indicative, and (c) conservative, uncertainty‑aware scoring. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov repository.library.noaa.gov
Cross‑contamination: sealed, single‑use cassettes; handling prompts in app; process controls in lab.
Behavior change: in‑app experiments and habit bundles with quantified results keep users engaged.

Landing page copy (first pass)

Hero:
Breathe fewer plastics.
Aerlume™ measures your microplastic exposure and shows you how to reduce it—room by room, habit by habit.How it works

Wear the badge. It quietly samples your breathing zone and estimates your Microplastic Index in real time.
See what matters. The app highlights where and when exposure spikes, then suggests fixes that fit your life.
Prove it. Run a 2‑week experiment (e.g., laundry changes, room filter upgrade) and watch your numbers drop.
Go deeper (optional). Mail a filter cassette for lab‑grade polymer identification. What you’ll get
Clear, real‑time exposure score
Actionable playbooks (Laundry, Bedroom, Office, Nursery)
Before/after experiments with quantified impact
Optional confirmatory lab analysis (µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman or Py‑GC/MS) Why it works
Built on the same spectroscopy methods labs use to identify microplastics—paired with practical, everyday actions proven to reduce airborne fibers. www.sciencedirect.com pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Early access
Reserve your Aerlume Badge Kit for $179. Includes 12 filter cassettes and the app. Optional lab credits available at checkout.Trust & transparency
Aerlume is an exposure and wellness tool. We don’t sell your data. Health science is evolving—we show uncertainty and cite our sources.CTA buttons:
[Reserve your badge] [See how the app works] [Ask our scientists]

Bonus: image of the first device

I created a simple concept sketch of the launch device (front + exploded side with labeled components):
**Download the Aerlume Badge concept image (PNG)**If you’d like a photoreal render for presentations, switch to GPT‑5 (image generation enabled) with this prompt:

“Render a sleek, pebble‑shaped wearable badge called ‘Aerlume’. Matte white ABS shell with a subtle satin finish, 60×40×16 mm. Front face: small multi‑color status LED near top‑right, a micro‑grill of 24 round air inlets, and a tiny 0.66‑inch monochrome OLED for status text. Right edge: spring clip. Show an exploded view beside it with a removable 1 µm PTFE filter cassette, a micro‑blower, a compact laser optical particle sensor, and a UV LED + camera module for fluorescence snapshot. Clean product‑style lighting on a soft gray background.”

Key sources (selection)

Airborne/indoor burden & exposure: O’Brien et al., 2023 review; Bhat et al., 2024 indoor exposure study. www.sciencedirect.com link.springer.com
Human health signal: NEJM 2024—micro/nanoplastics in carotid plaques associated with higher CV events. www.nejm.org pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Measurement methods: 2024–2025 reviews—µ‑FTIR/µ‑Raman/Py‑GC‑MS as gold standards; optical counters’ limits. www.sciencedirect.com pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Wearable/personal sampling feasibility: reviews and studies on wearable passive samplers; personal microplastic air sampling. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.mdpi.com
Mitigation evidence: Guppyfriend/XFiltra reductions; dryer emissions; filtration efficiencies (MERV‑13+/HEPA). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ashrae.org