Microplastics Enter our Lungs through the Air

“Very few people are talking about what is the percentage of microplastics in the air. There are many of them and it is natural for the people to inhale them," said pulmonologist Dr. Alexander Simidchiev, bTV reported.

"Unlike fine dust particles, microplastics are formed by thin filaments - fabrics and similar materials that, when cut and torn, separate very small fibers. They are very lightweight and are carried in the air for a long time. They are too small to be visible to the unarmed eye, "the pulmonologist explained.

"Plastic is one of the most durable human-made things. It decomposes extremely slowly - 500-600 years. The problem with inhaling microplastics is not so much that they cause harm themselves, but that very often they contain dyes and other chemistry , including heavy metals that cause problems, " Dr. Simidchiev explained .

Larger particles remain in the upper respiratory tract and smaller particles enter the lung. The smallest - the so-called. nanoparticles can pass through the lungs, enter the body and damage any other organ.

"There are very few publications at the moment about how much plastic is in our lungs. We think it is relatively inert and the particles are not very large. The truth however is, that due to the fact that they are decomposing very slowly, they stay in our bodies for a very long time and the effect is very big, " the pulmonologist said.

The particles themselves can lead to inflammatory reactions in the lung. In his words, the lung is an organ that is often underestimated, but keeps us alive every second.

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