Scientists say microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous on Earth, making human exposure unavoidable and raising growing concerns about its health risks. The Guardian reported that for the first time, microplastics have been found deep within the lungs of living people, with the particles detected in nearly all samples.
Microplastics found deep in the lungs of living people, with PP and PET being the most abundant
The research team obtained tissue samples from 13 patients undergoing surgery and found microplastics in 11 of them. The most common types of microplastics were polypropylene (PP), used in plastic packaging and tubing, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the raw material for plastic bottles. Two previous studies have also found high levels of microplastics in lung tissue collected during autopsies.
Researchers already know that people can inhale and ingest these tiny plastic particles, and that workers exposed to large amounts of microplastics can develop illnesses.
In March of this year (2022), scientists detected microplastics in human blood for the first time, indicating that microplastic particles can travel throughout the body and potentially lodge in organs, with their health impacts still unclear. However, researchers are concerned because studies have confirmed that microplastics can damage human cells in the laboratory, and that fine particles from air pollution do enter the human body, leading to millions of premature deaths each year.
"We didn't expect to find the highest concentration of microplastics in the deep lungs," said Laura Sadofsky, a senior author of the new study at Hull York Medical School in the UK. "The size of the particles was also surprising... The airways in the deep lungs are smaller, and we expected particles of this size to be filtered out or trapped before reaching these deep airways."
"This data is an important advance in the research field of air pollution, microplastics and human health," said Sadowski. The data can be used to create more realistic conditions for laboratory experiments to help confirm the impact of microplastics on health.
Medical researchers urgently need more research to clarify the link between microplastics and cancer.
The new study, accepted for publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment, used samples of healthy lung tissue taken near the surgical site to analyze particles as small as 0.003 millimeters. The researchers used spectroscopy to identify the type of plastic and also included control samples to illustrate background levels of pollution.
A 2021 Brazilian study of autopsy samples found microplastics in 13 of 20 people analyzed, whose average age was higher than that assessed in Sadowski's study. Polyethylene (PE), used in plastic bags, was one of the most common plastic particles found. The researchers concluded that "health problems may be associated with these pollutants entering the respiratory system."
A 1998 US study of lung cancer patients found plastic and plant fibers (such as cotton) in over 100 samples. Among cancerous tissues, 97% contained these fibers, while 83% of non-cancerous tissues were contaminated with fibers.
A recent review of cancer risks stated: “More detailed research is urgently needed to clarify the structures and processes by which microplastics and nanoplastics affect the human body; whether and how they transform cells and induce carcinogenesis, especially as plastic production increases exponentially.”
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/233822)
