Microplastic accumulation in the human lung: distinct signatures in lung cancer vs normal tissue.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control tissue comparison (pilot observational study)
PubMed 41738232 · doi:10.1093/ajrccm/aamag081
What was done
Microplastics (<5 mm) were quantified and characterized in 20 cryopreserved human lung tissue samples (10 cancer, 10 controls) digested with potassium hydroxide and analyzed using Raman microspectroscopy.
What was found
Microplastics were detected in all 20 samples. Cancer tissue had a higher median microplastic count than control tissue (39.0 vs 31.5 particles per ~100 mg), but the difference was not statistically significant (OR 1.009 per particle, 95% CI 0.982-1.036). Polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate accounted for 78% of particles; cancer samples showed higher proportions of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, fibers, and particles <50 µm.
Why it matters
This study documents the presence of microplastics in human lung parenchyma and identifies potential morphological and polymer differences between cancerous and normal tissue for future research.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n=20 total). The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish temporality or causation. Clinical characteristics (such as smoking status or occupational exposure) and whether controls were adjacent normal tissue or separate individuals were not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Microplastic particles have been detected inside human lung cancer tumor tissue samples.