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Recent advances on transport and transformation mechanism of nanoplastics in lung cells
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This review examines how nanoplastics, the smallest fragments of plastic pollution, travel through and affect lung cells after being inhaled. Researchers summarized evidence that these particles can cross cell membranes, trigger inflammation, and undergo chemical changes inside respiratory tissue. The findings underscore that airborne nanoplastics represent a potential threat to human respiratory health that warrants further investigation.
Microplastics (MPs) are solid plastic particles less than or equal to 5 mm in size that are insoluble in water, and when the diameter is further reduced to <1 micrometer (μm), we call them nanoplastics (NPs). MPs and NPs are widely present in the atmosphere, and plastic particles have also been detected in the sputum of patients with respiratory diseases. This warns us that these tiny plastic particles are a potential threat to human respiratory health. The lungs, as the main organs of the respiratory system, are more likely to be adversely affected by inhaled NPs. However, the mechanism of transport and transformation of NPs in the lung is not clear, so our review mainly focuses on a series of effects and mechanisms of NPs on lung cells through absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) after inhalation into the human body. The most commonly used models in these experimental studies we focus on are A549 and BEAS-2B cells, which are used to model the lung cell response to plastic particles. In addition, we also summarize some shortcomings of these experiments and prospects for future studies, hoping to provide further clues for future studies and contribute to the prevention of related hazards and diseases.
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Atmospheric microplastic and nanoplastic: The toxicological paradigm on the cellular system
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This review examines how airborne microplastics and nanoplastics affect human cells after being inhaled into the lungs. Because these particles are tiny and lightweight, they can penetrate deep into lung tissue and potentially enter the bloodstream. Studies on human cell lines show that inhaled plastic particles can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, raising concerns about long-term respiratory and systemic health effects.
Inhalation toxicity of nanoplastics: mechanistic insights from biophysical barrier disruption to chronic lung diseases
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Tiny plastic particles in the air we breathe may be able to reach deep into our lungs, where scientists think they can damage cells' energy centers, trigger inflammation, and potentially contribute to problems like asthma flare-ups and lung scarring over time. This review pulls together existing research to map out how this damage might unfold step-by-step, though it's based on lab studies rather than proof of harm in real-world human exposure. The big takeaway: as plastic pollution keeps growing, understanding how these invisible particles affect our lungs is an important and still-developing area of health science.
Impact of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Human Health
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This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics can enter the human body through the gut, lungs, and skin, and what potential health effects they might cause at the cellular level. While there is growing evidence that these particles trigger toxic responses in cells, research into their specific effects inside the human body is still limited. The paper calls for more studies on how nanoplastics in particular move through human tissue barriers and what long-term damage they may cause.
Microplastics in the Lungs: Exposure Pathways, Pulmonary Deposition, Toxicological Effects, and Carcinogenic Potential
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles found in human lungs after breathing them in. Lab studies on plastic particles showed inflammation, cell damage, and genetic damage, while human data remain limited but confirm microplastics are present in lungs, linked to inflammatory and fibrotic lung conditions.
Respiratory Toxicity of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Clinical Outcomes, and Future Threats
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This review summarized the respiratory toxicity of airborne microplastics, covering their sources, the routes by which they penetrate deep into lung tissue, and the range of clinical outcomes from chronic inflammation to potential malignancy. The authors warn that inhalation exposure represents an underappreciated and growing public health threat.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.