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Journal Article Epublish 1 citation

PubMed: 42620939 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101804

Microplastics in human lung tissue from autopsy samples collected in 1991 and 2024: a comparative post-mortem study.

Lancet Reg Health Eur 69:101804

Authors: Raffaele Marfella, Francesco Prattichizzo, Rosalba La Grotta, Valeria Pellegrini, Alessia Metallo, Laura Graciotti, Gianluca Fulgenzi, Tatiana Spadoni, Celestino Sardu, Ludovica Vittoria Marfella, Maurizio Municinò, Emilia Municinò, Giuseppe D'Abbronzo, Alessandro Feola, Carlo Pietro Campobasso, Franca Ferraraccio, Iacopo Panarese, Giovanna Ferrara, Alfonso Fiorelli, Sergio Harari, Giulia Matacchione, Fabiola Olivieri, Pasquale Paolisso, Carmine Lubritto, Michelangela Barbieri, Angela Chambery, Bruno D'Agostino, Angelo Fenti, Simona Galoppo, Giovanni Falco, Nunzia D'Onofrio, Maria Luisa Balestrieri, Antonio Ceriello, Philip J Landrigan, Giuseppe Paolisso, Pasquale Iovino

Affiliations

  • Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", P.zza L. Miraglia, 2, Napoli 80138, Italy.
  • Pollution and Cardiovascular Diseases Research Centre, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta 81100, Italy.
  • IRCCS MultiMedica, Via Fantoli 16/15, Milan 20138, Italy.
  • Department of Excellence SBSP-Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
  • Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
  • Department of Forensic, Evaluative and Necroscopic Medicine, ASL Napoli 2 NORD, Naples, Italy.
  • Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy.
  • Unit of Pathology (Anatomic Pathology), ASL Caserta, Italy.
  • Unit of Forensic, Evaluative and Necroscopic Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy.
  • Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples 80138, Italy.
  • Unit of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy.
  • Division of Pneumology, Semi-Intensive Care Unit, MultiMedica IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
  • Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy.
  • IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
  • Cardiology Unit, Sant'Andrea University Hospital Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy.
  • Department of Precision Medicine, The University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy.
  • Boston College Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston, MA, USA.
  • Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, MC, Monaco.
  • UniCamillus International Medical University, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Environmental accumulation and human exposure to microplastics MPs are increasing. It is not known whether there is a higher bioaccumulation of microplastics (MPs) in human lungs collected recently and compared with those collected decades ago. We aimed to assess changes in the presence, abundance, size, and types of MPs in human lung tissue collected 33 years apart, and to characterize histological patterns in these samples.

METHODS

We performed a comparative study of paraffin-embedded lung tissues collected post-mortem from two series of autopsy cases deceased either in 1991 (n = 42) or in 2024 (n = 57), both from the same tertiary care medical center. We assessed MPs prevalence, abundance, size, and polymer type using laser-direct infrared (LDIR) imaging. Particle count per gram of tissue was the primary endpoint. As supporting analysis, we evaluated MPs type and concentrations through pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) in a representative subset of samples. We also assessed collagen I staining to evaluate fibrosis and CD68 infiltration as an index of lung inflammation.

FINDINGS

MPs were identified by LDIR in lung samples from 8/42 individuals (19%) deceased in 1991 and 44/57 (77%) deceased in 2024. MP burden per gram of tissue (median; Q1-Q3) increased from 12.9 particles (11.3-13.7) to 19.9 (15.5-28.2), with results corroborated by a two-part hurdle model analysis. Particle diameter decreased from 56.2 μm (44.9-73.4) to 22.4 μm (15.4-37.9). When considering the mean ± SD of the relative abundance (%) of each plastic type/total MPs for each individual positive to MPs in the two groups, polymer composition shifted from polyethylene predominance (51.7 ± 2%) in 1991 to a more heterogeneous mix including polyethylene terephthalate (28.4 ± 3.1%), polyvinyl chloride (14.3 ± 2.4%), and polystyrene (14.2 ± 2.6%) in 2024. Py-GC/MS provided similar results in terms of MPs prevalence and relative abundance, while SEM suggested a pervasive presence of particles enriched in Sulphur in the 2024 group. Lung samples with evidence of MPs showed higher CD68 and collagen I abundance compared with those without evidence of MPs, independently of the case series.

INTERPRETATION

MPs contamination of human lung tissue was more frequently detected, showed greater polymer diversity, and was composed of smaller particles in post-mortem samples collected in 2024 compared with those collected in 1991. These observations are hypothesis-generating and should be interpreted in the context of the observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective nature of the study design.

FUNDING

This work has been supported by Italian Ministry of Health through Ricerca Corrente to IRCCS MultiMedica, and by Ricerca Ateneofund for Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Diseases.

MeSH

Lung, Polymers, Microplastics, Collagen, Polyethylene, Prevalence, Tissues, Plastics, Autopsy