Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics, potential threat to patients with lung diseases

This review examines the potential threat that airborne microplastics pose to people with existing lung conditions, noting that these particles have been found in human lung tissue and sputum. Researchers explored possible mechanisms by which inhaled microplastics could worsen lung diseases, including triggering inflammation and oxidative stress. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and calls for more research into how microplastic inhalation affects respiratory health.

2022 Frontiers in Toxicology 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Correction to: No prominent toxicity of polyethylene microplastics observed in neonatal mice following intratracheal instillation to dams during gestational and neonatal period

This is a published correction to an earlier study that found no significant toxicity from polyethylene microplastics in newborn mice exposed through their mothers. The correction addresses a methodological detail in the original paper. The underlying finding — that intratracheal exposure to polyethylene microplastics during pregnancy and nursing caused no prominent toxicity — remains unchanged.

2021 Toxicological Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Correction to: Characteristic of microplastics in the atmospheric fallout from Dongguan City, China: preliminary research and first evidence

This is a published correction to an earlier study on microplastics in atmospheric fallout from Dongguan City, China, fixing two errors in the original article. No new findings are presented.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Correction: Ricciardi et al. Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: Occurrence, Persistence, Analysis, and Human Exposure. Water 2021, 13, 973

This is a published correction notice for a previously published review article on microplastics in aquatic environments.

2023 Water 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Respiratory Toxicity of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Clinical Outcomes, and Future Threats

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.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Potential toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics in primary bronchial epithelial cells of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics affect lung cells taken from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that already impairs breathing. The study aimed to determine whether plastic particle exposure poses additional toxic risk to people whose airways are already compromised.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
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

Correction: Tiny pollutants, big consequences: investigating the influence of nano- and microplastics on soil properties and plant health with mitigation strategies

This is a correction notice for a previously published review paper about how nano- and microplastics affect soil and plant health. The original paper examined how these tiny plastic particles change soil properties and harm plants. No new findings are presented in this correction.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts
Article Tier 2

Correction: Microplastic exposure and allergic rhinitis: Network toxicology, and molecular docking insights

This entry is a published correction to an earlier paper on microplastic exposure and allergic rhinitis that used network toxicology and molecular docking methods. No new findings were reported; the correction addresses an error in the original article.

2025 PLoS ONE
Article Tier 2

Microplastics exposed by respiratory tract and exacerbation of community-acquired pneumonia: The potential influences of respiratory microbiota and inflammatory factors

Researchers found that microplastics were present in the lungs of pneumonia patients, and that patients with severe pneumonia had higher levels of microplastics in their airways than those with milder cases. The microplastics appeared to worsen lung infections by disrupting the balance of airway bacteria and increasing inflammation. This study provides early evidence that inhaled microplastics may make respiratory infections more dangerous in humans.

2025 Environment International 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Human Exposure to Airborne Microplastics: A Study on Detection and Potential Health Effects Using BAL Fluid

This study detected inhaled microplastics in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the lower respiratory tract of human patients and found associations between microplastic presence and markers of lung inflammation and impaired lung function.

2025 Journal of Pharmacy And Bioallied Sciences
Systematic Review Tier 1

The Effect of Nanoplastics and Microplastics on Lung Morphology and Physiology: a Systematic Review

This systematic review examines how inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics affect lung structure and function. The research found that indoor microplastic concentrations are often higher than outdoor levels due to household materials shedding fibers, and that inhaled particles can accumulate in different parts of the lungs. These findings suggest that breathing in plastic particles at home and work could contribute to respiratory health problems over time.

2024 The Medical and Ecological Problems 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Erratum to: Extraction of Microplastics from River Water in a Rotating Coiled Column Using a Water–Oil System

This is a published correction (erratum) to an earlier paper on a method for extracting microplastics from river water using a rotating coiled column system. It does not contain new scientific findings but corrects errors in the original publication.

2026 Journal of Analytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as environmental modifiers of lung disease

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.

2025 EMBO Molecular Medicine 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Corrigendum to ’Microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes as rising threats: Their interaction represents an urgent environmental concern’ Current Research in Microbial Sciences 9 (2025) 100447

This is a published correction notice for an earlier article on microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes — it contains no new findings and only corrects an error in the original paper.

2026 Current Research in Microbial Sciences
Article Tier 2

Airborne micro- and nanoplastics: emerging causes of respiratory diseases

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.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Correction to Human Consumption of Microplastics

This paper is a published correction to the 2019 study "Human Consumption of Microplastics" by Cox et al., which estimated how many microplastic particles people ingest annually through food, water, and air. The correction updates specific data or calculations in that widely cited paper.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 56 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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Deleterious effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on rodent lungs: a systematic review

This systematic review summarizes research on how inhaled micro- and nanoplastics affect the lungs in animal studies. The findings show these particles can cause lung inflammation, tissue damage, and immune responses, suggesting that breathing in airborne microplastics may pose real risks to respiratory health.

2025
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the presence of microplastics and their clinical significance in patients with exacerbation and stable periods of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Researchers examined the presence of microplastics in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during exacerbation and stable phases. MPs were detected in a majority of patient samples, and their presence was associated with greater airway inflammation, suggesting inhaled microplastics contribute to COPD pathology.

2025