New Study Finds Higher Microplastic Levels in Lung Cancer Patients’ Airways

Inhaled microplastic particles were frequently discovered lodged within human lungs, with a notably higher prevalence among individuals diagnosed with lung malignancy.

In a prospective observational study involving 100 individuals undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy, researchers observed that those diagnosed with lung cancer exhibited a higher frequency of microplastic particles on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and airway tissue samples (66% compared to 46% in those without lung malignancy, P=0.044).

Cancer patients demonstrated a median count of one microplastic particle retrieved from BAL, whereas controls yielded approximately zero (P=0.045). Following adjustments for smoking exposure, age, and sex, the association between microplastic burden and lung malignancy remained statistically significant (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.01-3.95), noted Ilias Dimeas, MD, of University College Dublin and the University of Thessaly, Greece.

Dr. Dimeas presented these findings during a poster session at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

“This observational study does not elucidate why we discovered more microplastics in the samples from lung cancer patients,” he cautioned in a press release. “Microplastics may contribute to inflammation or other biological processes that could lead to diseases like cancer, or it is possible that diseased lungs simply retain particles differently than healthy lungs.”

“What this demonstrates is that microplastics were more frequently and abundantly detected in patients with lung cancer, raising critical questions for future research. We have already initiated further laboratory experiments to better characterize the types of plastics involved and examine how they interact with lung cells,” Dimeas reported.

Microplastics are indirect byproducts of mass industrial processes and are increasingly pervasive in the air, water, soil, and food across the globe. Significant controversy surrounds these particles due to their ubiquitous infiltration into human tissue and observed associations with human diseases, including cognitive disability and cardiovascular disease.

Experts currently recommend several measures to mitigate microplastic exposure, such as avoiding the burning of plastics, refraining from using nonstick and plastic cookware, avoiding reheating or washing plastic containers in dishwashers, replacing plastic wrap with aluminum foil, purchasing food and beverages in glass jars rather than plastic, removing synthetic fabrics from the home, and avoiding tobacco smoke.

However, the definitive effects of microplastics on human health remain poorly understood.

“While this study represents an important preliminary investigation, it does not establish that microplastics are a cause or risk factor for lung cancer,” commented Ria Devereux, PhD, of the University of East London.

Indeed, akin to most research in this domain, the current study was constrained by its observational design and limited sample size.

“I would still be interested in understanding the participants’ occupational exposures, exposure to air pollution, other underlying lung diseases, the specific type and stage of lung cancer, and whether they had undergone previous medical procedures or interventions that could affect microplastic exposure. Is it possible that the bronchoscopy procedure itself introduced microplastics into the samples?” Devereux wrote in comments posted to the Science Media Centre website.

“Furthermore, the study cannot determine how long the microplastic has resided in the person’s lung or its origin. Consequently, it cannot establish whether microplastics were present prior to disease development or whether pathological differences in the diseased lung altered how particles were deposited or retained,” she added.

In a separate statement, Barbara Hoffmann, MD, MPH, of the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, also emphasized the necessity for further research into microplastics and lung cancer. “Meanwhile, we advocate for the fundamental human right to breathe clean air, which encompasses air free from microplastic pollution,” said Hoffmann, chair of the ERS Advocacy Council, who was not involved in the study.

Dr. Dimeas and colleagues studied a cohort of 100 individuals, divided between those with newly diagnosed lung malignancy and controls undergoing bronchoscopy for non-chronic respiratory indications. BAL sampling was performed on all participants, while paired airway tissue sampling was conducted on half of the cohort.

Microplastics were detected in 70% of the patients and 60% of the analyzed samples, Dimeas reported.

Among participants with both BAL and tissue samples, overall microplastic detection rates and total burden were significantly higher in patients with lung malignancy.

However, it is worth noting that BAL and tissue microplastic burdens exhibited an inverse relationship in those with lung malignancy, suggesting “compartment-specific pulmonary particle dynamics,” the study authors noted.

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