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Environment and lung health in a rapidly changing world
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This editorial highlights the major environmental challenges affecting respiratory health in the 21st century, including climate change and plastic pollution. The authors note that microplastics and nanoplastics in the air represent an emerging concern for lung health that requires urgent research attention. The piece calls for broader action to address environmental threats to respiratory health, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations.
Shareable abstract In the 21st century, respiratory health delivery continues to face significant challenges in the context of climate change, plastic pollution, artificial intelligence and continued health inequity. Will we make changes in time?https://bit.ly/3TS9jnO
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Microplastic and plastic pollution: impact on respiratory disease and health
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This review pulls together evidence from lab studies, animal experiments, and workplace exposure research showing that inhaled micro- and nanoplastics can affect lung tissue and may contribute to respiratory diseases. However, the authors stress that it remains unclear how much damage occurs at the levels of plastic particles people actually breathe in daily life, highlighting the need for better measurements of real-world exposure.
Plastics in Every Breath: The Silent Respiratory Health Threat We Cannot Avoid
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Inhalation of micro- and nanoplastics is unavoidable and has been linked to lung epithelial toxicity, while plastic-associated chemicals are tied to lung cancer risk — yet quantifying in vivo exposure remains technically challenging due to thermal degradation during detection. This highlights an urgent need for non-destructive detection methods and biodegradable plastic alternatives to reduce respiratory health risks.
Microplastics as environmental modifiers of lung disease
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This review examines growing evidence that inhaled microplastics may contribute to lung diseases including asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Researchers found that different plastic types, sizes, and weathering states can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular changes in lung tissue, suggesting microplastics may act as environmental modifiers that worsen respiratory conditions.
Airborne micro- and nanoplastics: emerging causes of respiratory diseases
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This review examines growing evidence that tiny airborne plastic particles can enter the lungs and trigger or worsen respiratory diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung inflammation. The smallest nanoplastics are especially concerning because they can penetrate deep into lung tissue and even enter the bloodstream, yet research on airborne plastic health effects significantly lags behind studies on waterborne exposure.
Inhaled Microplastics as Emerging Respiratory Toxicants: From Cellular Mechanisms to Global Health Policy
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This review pulls together a decade of research on tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe, finding that once inhaled, they can trigger inflammation, cell damage, and immune disruption deep in the lungs, effects linked to conditions like asthma, COPD, and even lung cancer. The risk may be even greater since these particles often carry other harmful substances like heavy metals along for the ride. That said, scientists still lack standardized ways to measure this exposure, so more consistent research is needed before we fully understand how worried we should be, but it's a good reason to pay attention to air quality and plastic pollution in daily life.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.