Microfluidic lung-on-a-chip for evaluating inflammation and toxicity from environmental pollutants

Environmental pollutants pose an escalating health threat, yet traditional toxicity models are inherently limited in recapitulating complex human physiology. As an emerging organ-on-a-chip technology, microfluidic lung-on-a-chip employs microengineering approaches to precisely replicate the key structural features and dynamic physiological microenvironment of the human lung in vitro, thereby providing a highly biomimetic research platform for toxicity evaluation of environmental pollutants. This review aims to summarize the core principles of this technology, its current application status in modelling pollutant exposure and toxic responses, and to analyze its advantages including biomimetic modeling and real-time monitoring over conventional in vitro models, as well as the challenges currently faced involving chip standardization, operational complexity, and subsystem integration. The article focuses on reviewing the latest research progress of microfluidic lung on a chip in assessing the inflammation and toxicity of atmospheric particulate matter and pathogen, volatile organic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbon, and emerging micro/nanomaterials, and further envisions its broad application prospects in advancing studies in environmental toxicology, precision risk assessment, and personalized health prediction.