Microplastics Found Deep In Lungs Of Living People For First Time Plastics

Scientists say microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous around the world, making human exposure unavoidable and meaning that “there is a growing concern about health risks”. Tissue samples were taken from 13 patients who underwent surgery and found microplastics in 11 cases. The most common particles were polypropylene, used in plastic packaging and pipes, and PET, used in bottles. Two previous studies had found microplastics at similarly high rates in lung tissue obtained during an autopsy. Humans were already known to breathe tiny particles, as well as to consume them through food and water. Workers exposed to high levels of microplastics are also known to have developed the disease. Microplastics were first detected in human blood in March, showing that the particles can travel throughout the body and can be installed in organs. The health effects are still unknown. However, researchers are concerned that microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and that airborne pollutant particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of premature deaths each year. “We did not expect to find the highest number of particles in the lower lungs or particles of the size we found,” said Laura Sadofsky of Hull York School of Medicine in the United Kingdom, the study’s lead author. “It’s amazing because the airways are smaller in the lower parts of the lungs and we would expect particles of this size to be filtered or trapped before they reach so deep.” “These data provide a significant breakthrough in the areas of air pollution, microplastics and human health,” he said. The information could be used to create realistic conditions for laboratory experiments to determine health effects. The research, which was accepted for publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment, used samples of healthy lung tissue next to surgical targets. Analyzed particles up to 0.003 mm in size and used spectroscopy to identify the type of plastic. He also used control samples to calculate the level of contamination of the background. A 2021 study in Brazil on autopsy samples found microplastics in 13 of the 20 people analyzed, whose average age was higher than that estimated by Sadofsky’s study. Polyethylene, used in plastic bags, was one of the most common particles. The researchers concluded: “The harmful effects on health may be related to… these infectious agents in the respiratory system after inhalation”. An American study of lung cancer patients in 1998 found plastic and fiber (such as cotton) in more than 100 samples. In cancer tissue, 97% of the samples contained fiber and in non-cancerous samples, 83% were infected. Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped into the environment and microplastics are contaminating the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deeper oceans. Microplastics have been found in the placentas of pregnant women and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs to the hearts, brain and other organs of the fetus. A recent review assessed the risk of cancer and concluded: “There is an urgent need for more detailed research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect the structures and processes of the human body and whether and how they can transform cells and cause carcinogenesis, especially under light of exponential growth in plastic production ‘.

title: “Microplastics Found Deep In Lungs Of Living People For First Time Plastics " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-01” author: “Timothy Eberhardt”

Scientists say microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous around the world, making human exposure unavoidable and meaning that “there is a growing concern about health risks”. Tissue samples were taken from 13 patients who underwent surgery and found microplastics in 11 cases. The most common particles were polypropylene, used in plastic packaging and pipes, and PET, used in bottles. Two previous studies had found microplastics at similarly high rates in lung tissue obtained during an autopsy. Humans were already known to breathe tiny particles, as well as to consume them through food and water. Workers exposed to high levels of microplastics are also known to have developed the disease. Microplastics were first detected in human blood in March, showing that the particles can travel throughout the body and can be installed in organs. The health effects are still unknown. However, researchers are concerned that microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and that airborne pollutant particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of premature deaths each year. “We did not expect to find the highest number of particles in the lower lungs or particles of the size we found,” said Laura Sadofsky of Hull York School of Medicine in the United Kingdom, the study’s lead author. “It’s amazing because the airways are smaller in the lower parts of the lungs and we would expect particles of this size to be filtered or trapped before they reach so deep.” “These data provide a significant breakthrough in the areas of air pollution, microplastics and human health,” he said. The information could be used to create realistic conditions for laboratory experiments to determine health effects. The research, which was accepted for publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment, used samples of healthy lung tissue next to surgical targets. Analyzed particles up to 0.003 mm in size and used spectroscopy to identify the type of plastic. He also used control samples to calculate the level of contamination of the background. A 2021 study in Brazil on autopsy samples found microplastics in 13 of the 20 people analyzed, whose average age was higher than that estimated by Sadofsky’s study. Polyethylene, used in plastic bags, was one of the most common particles. The researchers concluded: “The harmful effects on health may be related to… these infectious agents in the respiratory system after inhalation”. An American study of lung cancer patients in 1998 found plastic and fiber (such as cotton) in more than 100 samples. In cancer tissue, 97% of the samples contained fiber and in non-cancerous samples, 83% were infected. Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped into the environment and microplastics are contaminating the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deeper oceans. Microplastics have been found in the placentas of pregnant women and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs to the hearts, brain and other organs of the fetus. A recent review assessed the risk of cancer and concluded: “There is an urgent need for more detailed research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect the structures and processes of the human body and whether and how they can transform cells and cause carcinogenesis, especially under light of exponential growth in plastic production ‘.