Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jul 20;831:154907. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154907. Epub 2022 Mar 29.
Airborne microplastics (MPs) have been sampled globally, and their concentration is known to increase in areas of high human population and activity, especially indoors. Respiratory symptoms and disease following exposure to occupational levels of MPs within industry settings have also been reported. It remains to be seen whether MPs from the environment can be inhaled, deposited and accumulated within the human lungs. This study analysed digested human lung tissue samples (n = 13) using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 3 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. In total, 39 MPs were identified within 11 of the 13 lung tissue samples with an average of 1.42 ± 1.50 MP/g of tissue (expressed as 0.69 ± 0.84 MP/g after background subtraction adjustments). The MP levels within tissue samples were significantly higher than those identified within combined procedural/laboratory blanks (n = 9 MPs, with a mean ± SD of 0.53 ± 1.07, p = 0.001). Of the MPs detected, 12 polymer types were identified with polypropylene, PP (23%), polyethylene terephthalate, PET (18%) and resin (15%) the most abundant. MPs (unadjusted) were identified within all regions of the lung categorised as upper (0.80 ± 0.96 MP/g), middle/lingular (0.41 ± 0.37 MP/g), and with significantly higher levels detected in the lower (3.12 ± 1.30 MP/g) region compared with the upper (p = 0.026) and mid (p = 0.038) lung regions. After subtracting blanks, these levels became 0.23 ± 0.28, 0.33 ± 0.37 and 1.65 ± 0.88 MP/g respectively. The study demonstrates the highest level of contamination control and reports unadjusted values alongside different contamination adjustment techniques. These results support inhalation as a route of exposure for environmental MPs, and this characterisation of types and levels can now inform realistic conditions for laboratory exposure experiments, with the aim of determining health impacts.
空气中的微塑料（MPs）已在全球范围内进行了采样，其浓度在人口密集和活动频繁的地区，特别是在室内，呈上升趋势。在工业环境中接触职业水平的 MPs 后出现的呼吸道症状和疾病也有报道。目前还不清楚环境中的 MPs 是否可以被吸入、沉积并在人体肺部中积累。本研究使用 μFTIR 光谱（3 μm 大小限制）分析了消化后的人体肺组织样本（n = 13），以检测和表征存在的任何 MPs。在 13 个肺组织样本中的 11 个样本中总共鉴定出 39 个 MPs，平均每个组织样本中 MPs 的含量为 1.42 ± 1.50 MPs/g（经过背景扣除调整后表示为 0.69 ± 0.84 MPs/g）。组织样本中的 MPs 水平明显高于在组合程序/实验室空白（n = 9 MPs，平均值 ± SD 为 0.53 ± 1.07，p = 0.001）中鉴定的 MPs 水平。在所检测到的 MPs 中，有 12 种聚合物类型被鉴定出来，其中聚丙烯（PP）（23%）、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）（18%）和树脂（15%）最为丰富。在归类为上（0.80 ± 0.96 MPs/g）、中/舌状（0.41 ± 0.37 MPs/g）和下（3.12 ± 1.30 MPs/g）的所有肺区都鉴定到了 MPs（未经调整），与上（p = 0.026）和中（p = 0.038）肺区相比，下肺区检测到的 MPs 水平显著更高。扣除空白后，这些水平分别为 0.23 ± 0.28、0.33 ± 0.37 和 1.65 ± 0.88 MPs/g。该研究展示了最高水平的污染控制，并报告了未经调整的值以及不同的污染调整技术。这些结果支持 MPs 经吸入进入环境作为暴露途径，并且这种类型和水平的表征现在可以为实验室暴露实验提供现实条件，以确定健康影响。
