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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Environmental Sources Human Health Effects Nanoplastics Remediation Sign in to save

Temporal Trend in Accumulation of Microplastics in Decedent Human Lungs

Preprints.org 2026
Raffaele Marfella, Raffaele Marfella, Francesco Prattichizzo, Francesco Prattichizzo, Rosalba La Grotta, Valeria Pellegrini, Valeria Pellegrini, Alessia Metallo, Laura Graciotti, Gianluca Fulgenzi, Tatiana Spadoni, Celestino Sardu, Ludovica Vittoria Marfella, Maurizio Municinò, Emilia Municinò, D'Abbronzo Giuseppe, Alessandro Feola, Carlo Pietro Campobasso, Franca Ferraraccio, Iacopo Panarese, Giovanna Ferrara, Alfonso Fiorelli, Sergio Harari, Giulia Matacchione, Olivieri Fabiola, Pasquale Paolisso, Carmine Lubritto, Michelangela Barbieri, Michelangela Barbieri, Angela Chambery, Bruno D'Agostino, Angelo Fenti, Simona Galoppo, Giovanni Falco, Nunzia D'Onofrio, Nunzia D'Onofrio, Maria Luisa Balestrieri, Maria Luisa Balestrieri, Antonio Ceriello, Antonio Ceriello, Philip J Landrigan, Giuseppe Paolisso, Giuseppe Paolisso, Pasquale Iovino

Summary

Researchers compared lung tissue samples from people who died in 1991 and 2024 and found that microplastic presence increased from 19% to 77% of individuals over that period, with the number of particles per gram of tissue also rising significantly. The polymer composition shifted from predominantly polyethylene to a more diverse mix including PET and PVC, and lung samples containing microplastics showed greater signs of inflammation and fibrosis.

Polymers
PE PET PS PVC
Body Systems
Immune Respiratory
Models
Human

Environmental accumulation and human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasing as plastic production rises, yet whether this has been paralleled by greater bioaccumulation in human lungs remains unclear. We conducted a comparative study of paraffin-embedded lung tissues collected post mortem from two series of autopsy cases from the same tertiary care medical center, including individuals who died in 1991 (n = 42) and in 2024 (n = 57). Microplastic abundance, size, and polymer type were assessed using laser-direct infrared (LDIR) imaging. Confirmatory analyses were performed in representative subsets using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Collagen I staining and CD68 infiltration were evaluated to assess fibrosis and inflammation. MNPs were identified by LDIR in lung samples from 8 of 42 individuals (19%) who died in 1991 and 44 of 57 (77%) who died in 2024. The median MNP burden per gram of tissue (interquartile range) increased from 12.9 particles (11.3–13.7) to 19.9 (15.5–28.2), while mean particle diameter decreased. Polymer composition shifted from polyethylene predominance (51.7%) in 1991 to a more heterogeneous profile in 2024, including polyethylene terephthalate (28.4%), polyvinyl chloride (14.3%), and polystyrene (14.2%), findings corroborated by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Lung samples containing MNPs showed greater CD68 and collagen I abundance than samples without detectable MNPs. Over the past three decades, MNP contamination of human lung tissue has become markedly more prevalent, compositionally diverse, and characterized by smaller particles, with accompanying histological features consistent with inflammation and fibrosis.

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