Uogintė Ieva, Vailionytė Agnė, Skapas Martynas, Bolanos Dave, Bagurskienė Ernesta, Gruslys Vygantas, Aldonytė Rūta, Byčenkienė Steigvilė
State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Vilnius, Lithuania.
State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Heliyon. 2023 Aug 30;9(9):e19665. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19665. eCollection 2023 Sep.
This is the first study reporting the presence of airborne nano-sized plastic particles in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples of patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy. The results represent the plastic pollution content in the lower airways of the residents of Northern Europe. Airborne micro- and nanoplastic particles (MP/NPs) are widely dispersed worldwide and intrude on human organisms to various extents, with the respiratory tract being the first line of exposure. The amounts of inhaled MP/NPs, their fate in the human respiratory tract, and the effects on the health of human airways and other exposed organs remain largely unknown. In this clinical study, human BALF samples were assessed by means of optical and transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX). Results show that MP/NPs levels vary in the interval of 0.14-12.8 particles per 100 ml of BALF and are present in all samples tested, mainly in a fragmented form. External pollution by MP/NPs was excluded by carefully choosing methodology and equipment. This finding is a timely addition of valuable information and stimulates further research into the biological effects of inhaled MP/NPs.
这是第一项报告在接受诊断性支气管镜检查患者的支气管肺泡灌洗（BALF）样本中存在空气传播的纳米级塑料颗粒的研究。这些结果代表了北欧居民下呼吸道中的塑料污染含量。空气传播的微塑料和纳米塑料颗粒（MP/NPs）在全球广泛分布，并不同程度地侵入人体，呼吸道是首要暴露途径。吸入的MP/NPs数量、它们在人体呼吸道中的归宿以及对人体气道和其他暴露器官健康的影响在很大程度上仍不为人知。在这项临床研究中，通过光学显微镜和透射电子显微镜结合能量色散X射线光谱法（TEM-EDX）对人体BALF样本进行了评估。结果表明，MP/NPs水平在每100毫升BALF中为0.14 - 12.8个颗粒的区间内变化，且在所测试的所有样本中均有存在，主要呈碎片形式。通过仔细选择方法和设备排除了MP/NPs的外部污染。这一发现及时补充了有价值的信息，并激发了对吸入MP/NPs生物效应的进一步研究。
