UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY

Lung cancer patients show higher microplastic burden in lungs, study finds

- A study of 100 bronchoscopy patients found 70% had detectable microplastics in lung wash or tissue samples, with a total of 232 particles identified across all samples. - Patients with lung cancer were more likely to have detectable microplastics and a higher overall microplastic burden than those without cancer (66% versus 46% in lung wash samples). - Polypropylene and polyethylene were the most common plastic types, widely used in packaging, textiles, and consumer goods. - Researchers caution the study cannot establish causation, as diseased lungs may simply retain particles differently, and call for further research into microplastics' role in lung disease.