Breathing plastic: detection of microplastics in the human respiratory system

Abstract

Microplastics have been detected in all environmental compartments including the atmosphere, although so far few studies have investigated them in the human respiratory tract. This paper includes all the results from the analysis of plastic microfibers in the lower airway of 44 adult patients with different respiratory pathologies using to this end the fluid obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage as a minimally invasive method. We studied the relationship between patient life habits and physiological and medical parameters and the plastic microfiber concentrations isolated in the respiratory tract. The result showed an average plastic microfiber concentration of 9.18 ± 2.45 MF/100 ml BAL, with an average size of 1.73 ± 0.15 mm and a maximum size of 9.96 mm, corresponding to a polyacrylic fiber. There appeared statistically significant differences with patient gender, age, smoking habit, occupation type and X-ray diagnosis. More studies are needed to determine the negative effects these micropollutants may have on the human respiratory system and its associated diseases.