Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

What research exists on the link between microplastics and lung cancer?

This overview examines existing research on the potential link between microplastics and lung cancer. The study notes that while cellular and animal model studies suggest a possible association, direct evidence in humans remains limited.

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

Microplastics Exposure Impact on Lung Cancer—Literature Review

This review examines the relationship between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and lung cancer development, summarizing evidence that these particles can enter the respiratory system through inhaled air, contaminated food, and other pathways. Researchers found that microplastics may promote inflammatory and oxidative processes in lung tissue that are associated with cancer progression. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure warrants consideration as a potential contributing factor in lung cancer research.

2025 Cancers 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure and inhaling of microplastics: An evidence of cause of cancer

This review examined the evidence linking microplastic inhalation to cancer risk, covering how inhaled MPs accumulate in the lungs, trigger chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, and may contribute to lung carcinogenesis. The authors identified microplastic inhalation as an underappreciated occupational and environmental cancer risk.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

From Exposure to Oncogenesis: the Role of Microplastics and Associated Pollutants in Cancer - a Literature Review

This literature review examined the growing evidence linking microplastic exposure to cancer development. Microplastics have been found in human lung, liver, and colon tissue, and research suggests they may promote cancer through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and by carrying known carcinogens like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants into the body.

2025 International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive examination of the impact of environmental pollution on lung cancer: A review

This review examined how environmental pollutants, including fine particulate matter, heavy metals, and microplastics, contribute to lung cancer risk through various biological pathways. Researchers found that these pollutants can trigger inflammation, DNA damage, and disruption of cellular signaling that promotes tumor growth. The study emphasizes that understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing better prevention strategies against pollution-related lung cancer.

2025 Journal of Advanced Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Relationship Between Microplastics and Nanoplastics with Cancer: An Emerging Health Concern

This review explores the emerging relationship between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and cancer risk in humans. Researchers summarized evidence suggesting that microplastics can carry carcinogenic substances and may trigger inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways linked to tumor development. The study highlights that while early evidence raises concern, more research is needed to establish clear causal connections between plastic particle exposure and specific cancer types.

2024 International Journal of Hematology and Oncology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Their Impact on Tumor Progression and Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis

This comprehensive review examines the growing body of evidence linking microplastic exposure to various types of cancer, including colorectal, lung, liver, and breast cancers. Researchers found that microplastics and nanoplastics may promote tumor progression through mechanisms including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and disruption of cellular signaling pathways. While the evidence is still emerging, the study highlights the need for further research into the potential cancer-related risks of widespread microplastic exposure.

2025 Journal of Environmental Pathology Toxicology and Oncology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure and inhaling of microplastics: An evidence of cause of cancer

This review examined microplastic inhalation as a potential cause of cancer, surveying pathways by which inhaled MP particles accumulate in lung tissue and drive oncogenic processes through inflammation, oxidative damage, and DNA strand breaks. The evidence reviewed supports classifying microplastic inhalation as an emerging environmental cancer risk factor.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Molecular mechanisms of air pollution–induced carcinogenesis and the emerging role of microplastics

This review examined the molecular mechanisms by which air pollution components — including fine particulate matter, microplastics, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals — contribute to cancer development. The authors identify microplastics as an emerging air pollution carcinogen that can carry and deliver chemical carcinogens into lung tissue.

2025 Human Genomics
Article Tier 2

Exposure and inhaling of microplastics: An evidence of cause of cancer

This review examines epidemiological and experimental evidence linking microplastic inhalation and ingestion to cancer risk, covering mechanisms including oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity from both particles and associated chemical additives. It highlights lung and gastrointestinal cancers as priority areas of concern.

2025 World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Review Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: A narrative review of potential effects on the human respiratory system

This review consolidates research on airborne microplastics and their potential effects on the human respiratory system. Studies show that inhaled microplastics can deposit in the lungs, trigger inflammation, cause oxidative stress, and lead to cell damage and death. While human exposure evidence is still limited, animal and cell studies suggest that long-term inhalation of airborne microplastics could pose significant risks to lung health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Lung hazards of microplastics and their toxicological mechanisms

This review summarizes eight key mechanisms by which microplastics cause lung injury, including oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and disruption of the immune response. Researchers explain how the small size and large surface area of microplastics allow them to evade respiratory clearance and deposit deep in lung tissue. The study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how inhaled microplastics may contribute to respiratory health problems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The alarming link between environmental microplastics and health hazards with special emphasis on cancer

This review describes how microplastics enter the human body through the nose, skin, and mouth, then penetrate cells where they can alter gene expression, fuel inflammation, disrupt hormone signaling, and promote uncontrolled cell growth. Studies have linked microplastic exposure to cancers of the lungs, blood, breast, prostate, and ovaries, though the precise molecular mechanisms still need further investigation.

2024 Life Sciences 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Vaping, Environmental Toxicants Exposure, and Lung Cancer Risk

This review examines how vaping and environmental toxicants, including microplastics and heavy metals found in e-cigarette aerosols, may contribute to lung cancer risk. E-cigarettes contain carcinogenic compounds like nicotine derivatives and heavy metals that can damage lung tissue. Combined exposure to vaping and environmental pollutants like air pollution and plastic particles may have a synergistic effect that increases cancer risk beyond either exposure alone.

2023 Cancers 75 citations
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

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

What is the impact of microplastic fibers on our lungs

Indoor dust is filled with tiny plastic fibers from textiles, carpets, and other household sources, and these fibers are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. Plastic fibers have been detected in lung tissue samples from cancer patients, raising questions about whether microfiber inhalation contributes to lung disease.

2019 Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)
Article Tier 2

The hidden threat: Microplastics and cancer biology

This review synthesizes current research on the potential links between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and cancer biology, examining how these particles may contribute to tumor development in organs including the gut, lungs, skin, liver, kidney, and brain. The study suggests that chronic exposure to plastic particles can trigger molecular changes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage that are associated with cancer initiation, though clear causal evidence in humans is still lacking.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and plastic pollution: impact on respiratory disease and health

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.

2024 European Respiratory Review 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastic-Induced Respiratory Disease and Dysfunction: A Scoping Review

A systematic scoping review of 68 studies found that inhaled micro- and nanoplastics are detected in human lung tissue and associated with pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, and impaired lung function, though most evidence comes from occupational settings and in vitro experiments.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

An emerging role of microplastics in the etiology of lung ground glass nodules

Researchers analyzed 100 human lung tissue samples and identified microplastics embedded in the tissue, with a higher detection rate in tumor samples compared to normal tissue. The abundance of microplastics in lung tissue appeared to increase with age, and the particles seemed to be physically embedded in the tissue rather than simply resting on the surface. The study provides direct evidence linking microplastic accumulation in lungs to ground glass nodules, an increasingly common finding on chest scans.

2022 Environmental Sciences Europe 173 citations
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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Cytotoxicity Assessment of Nanoplastics and Plasticizers Exposure in In Vitro Lung Cell Culture Systems—A Systematic Review

This systematic review evaluates how nanoplastics and plasticizers affect lung cells in laboratory studies. The research found that these tiny plastic particles and their chemical additives can damage respiratory tissue at the cellular level, triggering inflammation and cell death. These findings suggest that breathing in nanoplastics could pose real risks to lung health, though more research is needed to confirm effects in living humans.

2022 Toxics 9 citations