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For the first time, microplastic contamination has been discovered lodged deep in the lungs of living people. Almost all samples examined included the particles.
Microplastics pollute the entire world, from the pinnacle of Mount Everest to the deepest ocean floors, due to massive volumes of plastic deposited in the environment. Microplastics have even been discovered in the placentas of expectant mothers.
Researchers gathered tissue samples from 13 individuals who were undergoing surgery. In 11 of the cases, microplastics were discovered. The study looked at particles as small as 0.003mm in size using samples of healthy lung tissue. The study also employed control samples to account for contamination in the ambient environment.
Polypropylene, which is used in plastic packaging, and PET, which is used in bottles, were the most frequently found particles.
Microplastics also were detected in lung tissue at similar rates in previous studies that obtained samples during autopsies.
Scientists had not expected to find the most particles, or particles of the sizes identified, in the lower areas of the lungs. They were startled because the airways in the lower lungs are smaller, and particles of this size should have been filtered out or caught before reaching this depth.
Similar concerns have been raised in other research. Microplastics were discovered in 13 of the 20 persons evaluated in research conducted in Brazil in 2021 on postmortem samples.
One of the most prevalent particles was polyethylene, which is utilized in plastic bags. Microplastics were also discovered in human blood for the first time in a March study, indicating that the particles can travel across the body and lodge in organs.
Finally, in 1998, a study of lung cancer patients in the United States discovered plastic and plant fibers (such as cotton) in over 100 samples.
The influence on health of this plastic contamination has yet to be determined. Researchers are concerned, however, because microplastics have been shown to harm human cells in the lab, and air pollution particles are known to penetrate the body and cause millions of premature deaths each year.
