Microplastics in Human Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Airborne microplastic inhalation health impacts are under investigation.
• Microplastic detection in lung tissue is challenging.
• Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid offers a less invasive sampling method.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a microplastic detection method for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
• Evaluate potential health impacts of inhaled microplastics.

Main Methods:

• Included patients undergoing bronchoscopy for diffuse lung disease.
• Utilized Nile Red staining and fluorescence microscopy for detection.
• Assessed particle characteristics and identified plastic types via Raman spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Detected microplastics in all 30 patients' bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
• Median particle concentration was 684.7 particles/mL; >80% were <10 μm.
• Common plastics included PVC, polystyrene, and PET; concentration correlated with C-reactive protein.

Conclusions:

• A novel method for microplastic detection in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was established.
• Microplastics were ubiquitous in the study population, potentially linked to inflammation.
• Nile Red staining proved effective for lung microplastic screening and quantification.