Inhaled Microplastics in the Lungs By Mrs Vera West
There is a major environmental concern about plastic pollution, with disposable surgical masks being one factor leading to this crisis. However, matters may well be deeper, as new U.K. study from Hull York Medical School sampled human lung tissue using micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (micro FTIR) spectroscopy, and found 39 types of microplastics were identified in 11 of the 13 lung tissue samples of patients who were to undergo surgery. These microplastics were polypropylene (23 percent), polyethylene terephthalate (18 percent) and resin (15 percent), all found in surgical masks commonly worn in the Covid plandemic. Although the study did not speculate about the source of these plastics, it is a good bet that the practice of mask wearing may be the real source, as this prevalence of microplastics in the lungs was not observed prior to the cult of mask wearing as a sign of the faithful.
“A new U.K. study from Hull York Medical School sampled human lung tissue using micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (micro FTIR) spectroscopy.
Thirty-nine kinds of microplastics were identified in 11 of the 13 lung tissue samples of patients who were to undergo surgery.
The most commonly found microplastics were polypropylene (23%), polyethylene terephthalate (18%) and resin (15%). Tissue from male donors contained nearly six times the microplastics of tissue from female donors.
It had been thought that only particles smaller than 3 micrometers (µm) can enter the alveolar region of the lung. However, the particles seen in this study were up to 1,410 µm in length (1.4 mm).
What does this have to do with masks?
Possibly nothing. However, the disposable surgical masks that now decorate the world’s beaches, rivers and wildlands after having decorated billions of human faces happen to also be made of polystyrene and polyethylene compounds.
But the most common material in these is polypropylene, because of its ease of industrial handling. That was the most common microplastic found by UK researchers in lung tissue samples.
Epidemiologist Boris Borovoy and I were the first (that we were aware of) to warn in peer-reviewed research of this health hazard from inhaled microplastics and nano-plastics coming from disposable surgical masks.
We also discussed the friable nature of the particulate attached to surgical masks.”
https://colleenhuber.substack.com/p/mask-microplastics-have-they-arrived?s=r
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009
Abstract
Airborne microplastics (MPs) have been sampled globally, and their concentration is known to increase in areas of high human population and activity, especially indoors. Respiratory symptoms and disease following exposure to occupational levels of MPs within industry settings have also been reported. It remains to be seen whether MPs from the environment can be inhaled, deposited and accumulated within the human lungs. This study analysed digested human lung tissue samples (n = 13) using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 3 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. In total, 39 MPs were identified within 11 of the 13 lung tissue samples with an average of 1.42 ± 1.50 MP/g of tissue (expressed as 0.69 ± 0.84 MP/g after background subtraction adjustments). The MP levels within tissue samples were significantly higher than those identified within combined procedural/laboratory blanks (n = 9 MPs, with a mean ± SD of 0.53 ± 1.07, p = 0.001). Of the MPs detected, 12 polymer types were identified with polypropylene, PP (23%), polyethylene terephthalate, PET (18%) and resin (15%) the most abundant. MPs (unadjusted) were identified within all regions of the lung categorised as upper (0.80 ± 0.96 MP/g), middle/lingular (0.41 ± 0.37 MP/g), and with significantly higher levels detected in the lower (3.12 ± 1.30 MP/g) region compared with the upper (p = 0.026) and mid (p = 0.038) lung regions. After subtracting blanks, these levels became 0.23 ± 0.28, 0.33 ± 0.37 and 1.65 ± 0.88 MP/g respectively. The study demonstrates the highest level of contamination control and reports unadjusted values alongside different contamination adjustment techniques. These results support inhalation as a route of exposure for environmental MPs, and this characterisation of types and levels can now inform realistic conditions for laboratory exposure experiments, with the aim of determining health impacts.”
Comments