For the first time, microplastics were found deep in the lungs of a living person

For the first time in the world, scientists have discovered microplastics deep in the lungs of living people. Previously, this substance was also found in human blood, traveling throughout the body and staying in internal organs.

Specifically, scientists in the UK discovered microscopic plastic particles from the tissues of 11 out of 13 patients who had just undergone surgery. The most common microparticles are polypropylene (a plastic commonly used in food packaging and plastic pipes), and PET (a plastic commonly used in drinking water bottles). Two other studies have previously found similarly high levels of microplastics in lung tissue taken from autopsies.

Microplastic pollution is now widespread across the globe, making it impossible for people to avoid exposure to this substance. This situation raises concerns about the impact of microplastics on our health. Accordingly, humans can inhale these microscopic particles, as well as absorb them through food and drinking water. Workers exposed to high levels of microplastics are also at risk for disease.

Laura Sadofsky, a researcher at the Hull York School of Medicine, and author of the study, which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, said: the highest resin in the lower region of the lung. It was surprising to find microplastics in the smaller airways in the lower part of the lungs. We thought that these very small particles should have been filtered or contained before people inhaled them this deeply."

According to Ms. Sadofskytin, the new research will provide important advances in the fields of air pollution, microplastics and human health. This information can be used to facilitate practical experiments to determine the health effects of microplastics.

In the study, the scientists used samples of healthy lung tissue, analyzed particles as small as 0.003 mm inside and determined the type of plastic by spectroscopy. They also used control samples to calculate background pollution levels.

In the study, carried out in Brazil in 2021, scientists studied body samples and found microplastics in 13 of the 20 people analyzed. These people were on average older than Sadofsky's study participants. Polyethylene is one of the most common plastics. The researchers concluded that these pollutant particles have serious impacts on human health, after the respiratory system inhales them.

A 1998 US study of lung cancer patients also found plastic and plant fibers (such as cotton) in more than 100 study samples. In cancerous tissue, 97% of the samples contained plant fibers, and in non-cancerous tissue, 83% of the samples studied were contaminated.

Large amounts of plastic waste are being released into the environment and microplastics are ubiquitous around the world, from the highest mountains like Mount Everest to the deepest abysses under the Pacific Ocean. Microplastics have been found in the placentas of pregnant women and pregnant rats. They then quickly pass through the lungs into the heart, brain, and other parts of the fetus.

A recent review assessed the cancer risk of inhaling microplastics: 'More detailed studies are needed on how micro and nanoplastics affect the human body. Can they transform cells and produce carcinogens, especially given the exponential increase in plastic production?"