Arslan Bengi, Islamoğlu Yüce, Berçin Ali Sami, Akbulut Selen, Melikoğlu Mehmet
Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences University, Ankara, Turkiye.
Turk J Med Sci. 2025 Jun 29;55(4):904-911. doi: 10.55730/1300-0144.6043. eCollection 2025.
BACKGROUND/AIM: Microplastics (MPs) are a growing concern due to their pervasive environmental presence and their potential impact on environmental and human exposure. Given evidence of systemic MP presence in human tissues and fluids, and the ear canal's environmental exposure, this novel study aimed to identify these particles in human cerumen. Cerumen was collected from the proximal ear canal to minimize potential airborne contamination.
Cerumen samples were prospectively collected from 12 adult patients (23 patient-derived samples) and three control water samples, following ethical approval and consent. Samples were extracted using sterile instruments, stored in glass, diluted, and filtered through 0.22 μm cellulosic membranes. Microplastics were identified and measured morphologically using a 10× laboratory microscope with digital image processing; however, chemical confirmation of polymer type was beyond the scope of this initial study. Descriptive statistics were employed for analysis.
Among the 12 adult patients (23 patient-derived samples), microplastic particles were detected in 10 (83.3%, patient level detection rate). A cumulative total of 31 individual MPs were identified across the 23 patient-derived cerumen samples analyzed (comprising 29 detected and two instances of zero particle detection), ranging significantly in size from 16 μm to 930 μm and displaying various colors. Water control samples contained seven particles (3-46 μm), showing a clear size disparity from cerumen-borne particles.
This study provides solid evidence of microplastic presence in human cerumen, suggesting a novel potential route of elimination from the human body. The high detection rate among patients and distinct characteristics of cerumen-borne MPs compared to controls imply genuine human accumulation rather than procedural contamination. Cerumen highlights a promising potential noninvasive bioindicator for assessing microplastic exposure. Further research in larger populations is essential to confirm these findings, elucidate mechanisms, identify polymer types, and explore potential health implications.
背景/目的：微塑料（MPs）因其在环境中广泛存在及其对环境和人类暴露的潜在影响而日益受到关注。鉴于有证据表明MPs存在于人体组织和体液中，且耳道存在环境暴露，这项新研究旨在在人耳垢中识别这些颗粒。从耳道近端收集耳垢，以尽量减少潜在的空气传播污染。
在获得伦理批准并征得同意后，前瞻性地收集了12名成年患者的耳垢样本（23个源自患者的样本）和3个对照水样。使用无菌器械提取样本，保存在玻璃容器中，进行稀释，并通过0.22μm纤维素膜过滤。使用带有数字图像处理功能的10倍实验室显微镜从形态上识别和测量微塑料；然而，聚合物类型的化学确认超出了这项初步研究的范围。采用描述性统计进行分析。
在12名成年患者（23个源自患者的样本）中，有10名（83.3%，患者水平检测率）检测到微塑料颗粒。在所分析的23个源自患者的耳垢样本中，共识别出31个单独的微塑料颗粒（包括29个检测到的和2个零颗粒检测实例），大小从16μm到930μm不等，颜色各异。水对照样本含有7个颗粒（3 - 46μm），与耳垢携带的颗粒相比，尺寸差异明显。
本研究提供了人耳垢中存在微塑料的有力证据，表明了一种从人体排出的新潜在途径。与对照相比，患者中的高检测率以及耳垢携带的微塑料颗粒的独特特征意味着真正的人体积累而非操作污染。耳垢突出显示了一种有前景的潜在非侵入性生物指标，用于评估微塑料暴露。对更大规模人群进行进一步研究对于证实这些发现、阐明机制、识别聚合物类型以及探索潜在的健康影响至关重要。
