Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Identification and characterization of microplastics in human nasal samples

Researchers collected samples from human nasal cavities and confirmed the presence of microplastics, with polyethylene, polyester, acrylic, and polypropylene being the most common types. This finding adds the nose to the growing list of human body sites where microplastics have been detected, raising questions about potential health effects on the respiratory system.

2024 International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Nasal Airway and Upper Respiratory Tract

This review examines the effects of airborne microplastics on the upper respiratory tract and nasal region, an area largely overlooked despite being the initial point of contact with inhaled particles. The literature collectively indicates that microplastics may cause changes in cell morphology, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory effects in nasal tissues, with potential impacts on patient quality of life.

2025 Sinusitis 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro‐ and Nanoplastic Toxicity in Upper Respiratory Tract: A Scoping Review

This scoping review found that both exposed and unexposed humans have microplastics and nanoplastics detectable in nasal tissue and fluids, with mask wearing and old nasal lavage devices contributing to deposition, and experimental studies suggesting inflammatory tissue changes from upper respiratory tract NMP accumulation.

2025 The Laryngoscope
Article Tier 2

Detection of microplastics in patients with allergic rhinitis

In a study of 66 patients, researchers found significantly more microplastic particles in nasal wash samples from people with allergic rhinitis compared to healthy volunteers. The microplastics found were mostly fibers and fragments small enough to deposit in nasal passages during normal breathing. This is among the first studies to link airborne microplastic exposure in the nose to an allergic condition, suggesting inhaled microplastics may contribute to nasal inflammation.

2023 European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics in human’s respiratory system: bronchoalveolar and bronchial lavage fluid

Researchers analyzed bronchial and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients undergoing bronchoscopy and confirmed the presence of microplastics in the human respiratory system. They characterized the types, sizes, and quantities of microplastic particles found at different levels of the airways. The study provides direct evidence that microplastics deposit within human lungs and suggests that respiratory exposure is a meaningful route of human microplastic intake.

2025 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics in the upper respiratory tract of indoor and outdoor workers

Researchers measured microplastic presence in the upper respiratory tracts of indoor office workers and outdoor couriers using nasal lavage and sputum samples. The study found microplastics in both groups, with office workers showing significantly higher nasal contamination than couriers, and the dominant plastic types differing between indoor and outdoor workers.

2022 Chemosphere 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and Analysis of Microplastics in Human Sputum

Researchers analyzed sputum (mucus from the lungs) from 22 patients with respiratory diseases and found microplastics in every single sample, identifying 21 different plastic types. Polyurethane was the most common type detected, and most particles were smaller than 500 micrometers. This study provides direct evidence that humans are inhaling microplastics, with factors like smoking and medical procedures increasing the amount found in the respiratory tract.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 494 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastics in Human Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid: Preliminary Evidence of Respiratory Exposure to Environmental Contaminants

Researchers analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from eight adult patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy and detected microplastics in the samples using microscopy, providing preliminary direct evidence that airborne microplastics deposit in the human respiratory tract.

2025 Cureus
Article Tier 2

Nasal lavage technique reveals regular inhalation exposure of microplastics, not associated from face mask use

Researchers used nasal lavage, a technique that rinses the nasal cavity, to measure microplastics that people inhale during normal daily activities. They found an average of about 28 microplastic particles per sample across all participants, with eight different polymer types detected. Notably, the study found no significant difference in microplastic levels between different types of face masks, suggesting that everyday environmental exposure is the primary source of inhaled microplastics rather than mask materials.

2023 Environment International 20 citations
Letter Tier 3

Letter to the editor regarding “Identification and characterization of microplastics in human nasal samples”

This letter to the editor provides commentary on a published study identifying and characterizing microplastics in human nasal samples, with the authors declaring no conflicts of interest.

2024 International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology
Article Tier 2

How microplastics are transported and deposited in realistic upper airways?

This study used computer modeling to simulate how microplastic particles travel and deposit in realistic human upper airway anatomy. Researchers found that larger, irregularly shaped microplastics deposit more readily in the nose and throat compared to smaller spherical particles. The results help explain where inhaled microplastics are most likely to accumulate in the respiratory system, informing health risk assessments.

2023 Physics of Fluids 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastic Inhalation on Allergic and Nonallergic Rhinitis

Researchers analyzed nasal lavage samples from rhinitis patients and healthy controls, finding significantly higher microplastic concentrations in both allergic and nonallergic rhinitis groups compared to controls. Younger participants and those with more severe symptoms tended to have higher microplastic levels in their nasal passages. The study suggests that inhaled microplastics may play a role in nasal inflammation, though more research is needed to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

2025 American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of nasal microplastic densities in patients with acute and chronic rhinitis

Researchers compared microplastic concentrations in the nasal passages of patients with acute versus chronic rhinitis. They found higher microplastic densities in patients with acute inflammation, suggesting that these particles may play a role in triggering or worsening nasal flare-ups. The findings point to a need for further research into how inhaled microplastics could affect upper respiratory health over time.

2025 Acta Oto-Laryngologica 3 citations
Article Tier 2

An emerging class of air pollutants: Potential effects of microplastics to respiratory human health?

This review explores the emerging concern that airborne microplastics can be inhaled by humans, potentially causing adverse effects on the respiratory system. Researchers compiled available data on the concentration, size, shape, and chemical composition of microplastic particles found in urban air. The findings suggest that airborne plastic debris represents a largely understudied class of air pollutant with potential implications for human health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 406 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess human exposure through inhalation

Researchers investigated suspended microplastics in indoor air to assess the extent of human exposure through inhalation. The study quantified airborne microplastic particles in indoor settings, providing data on a potentially important but understudied route of daily microplastic intake for the general population.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastics isolated in European citizens’ lower airway

Researchers provided the first evidence of microplastics in the lower airways of living European adults, using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 44 patients. Nearly all detected particles were microfibers averaging about 1.7 millimeters in length, with an average concentration of roughly 9 items per 100 milliliters of fluid. The findings confirm that microplastics reach deep into the human respiratory system, though the health implications require further investigation.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 198 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Allergic Rhinitis: Multimechanistic Drivers of Barrier Disruption and Immune Dysregulation

This review examines the multimechanistic pathways by which microplastics drive barrier disruption and immune dysregulation in allergic rhinitis, considering how physical and chemical properties of microplastic particles interact with nasal epithelial and immune function. The paper synthesizes emerging evidence on microplastics as a novel contributor to upper airway allergic disease.

2025 Immunology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhalation: evidence in human lung tissue

Microplastic particles were found in human lung tissue samples collected during surgery, confirming that people inhale and retain microplastics in pulmonary tissue, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate among the polymers identified, raising concerns about chronic respiratory and inflammatory effects.

2021 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of the Morphological and Chemical Profile of Different Families of Microplastics in Samples of Breathable Air

Researchers characterized the morphological and chemical profiles of airborne microplastics collected from breathable air samples, finding diverse polymer types and particle shapes and examining how these particles are transported through the atmosphere to the air people breathe.

2023 Molecules 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study of Microplastic in Allergic Rhinitis

Researchers compared microplastic concentrations in the nasal cavities of patients with allergic rhinitis versus healthy individuals. They found significantly higher levels of microplastics in the noses of people with the allergic condition. This preliminary finding suggests a potential connection between microplastic exposure in the nasal passages and allergic airway conditions, though more research is needed to understand the relationship.

2025 Ear Nose & Throat Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic breath: Quantification of microplastics and polymer additives in airborne particles

This study quantified microplastics and plastic polymer additives in airborne particulate matter collected from indoor and outdoor environments, characterizing the contribution of plastic particles to inhalation exposure. Microplastics and associated additives were detected in breathable air, supporting inhalation as a significant route of human plastic exposure.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Tracing Microplastics in the Human Body: From Detection to Disease Mechanisms

This review traces the detection of microplastics across multiple human tissues — from nasal lavage and bronchoalveolar fluid to blood and lung tissue — and examines the disease mechanisms linking plastic particle accumulation to respiratory, cardiovascular, and other systemic health effects.

2025 Diagnostics
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health?

Researchers reviewed existing evidence on airborne microplastics and their potential effects on human respiratory health. Studies of workers exposed to plastic fibers and particles have documented airway inflammation and breathing difficulties, suggesting that susceptible individuals may face health risks even from environmental concentrations. The paper calls for greater awareness and future research into the health consequences of inhaling microplastic particles.

2017 Environmental Pollution 1580 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation and characterization of microplastics from the human respiratory system: Sputum, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid, and pleural fluid simultaneously

In the first study of its kind in Iran, researchers found microplastics in every sample collected from the human respiratory system, including sputum, lung fluid, and the fluid surrounding the lungs. Polyester fibers were the most common type detected, and people with occupational exposure or smoking habits had higher amounts, confirming that we regularly breathe in microplastics that reach deep into our lungs.

2024 Environmental Pollution 29 citations