Biomaterial Database

Evidence of Microplastics in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid among Never-Smokers: A Prospective Case Series. 2023

Lan Qiu, and Wenfeng Lu, and Changli Tu, and Xiaoliang Li, and Han Zhang, and Shuguang Wang, and Meizhu Chen, and Xiaobin Zheng, and Zhenguo Wang, and Minmin Lin, and Yuemei Zhang, and Chenghui Zhong, and Saifeng Li, and Yuewei Liu, and Jing Liu, and Yun Zhou

State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong, China.

Microplastics (MPs) are abundant in air, but evidence of their deposition in the respiratory tract is limited. We conducted a prospective case series to investigate the deposition of microplastics in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and determine the internal dose of MPs via inhalation. Eighteen never-smokers aged 32-74 years who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy with BALF were recruited from Zhuhai, China. Control samples were obtained by performing the same procedure using isotonic saline instead of BALF. Laser direct infrared spectroscopy combined with scanning electron microscopy detected the presence and characteristics of MPs and quantitatively analyzed the microplastic in BALF and control samples. Concentrations of total and specific MPs in BALF and control samples were compared using the Wilcox test. Thirteen types of MPs were observed in 18 BALF samples. Polyethylene (PE, 86.1%) was the most abundant in BALF, followed by poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET, 7.5%) and polypropylene (PP, 1.9%). Compared with the control samples, BALF had significantly higher concentrations of PE (median [IQR] of BALF: 0.38 [8.05] N/g), PET (0.26 [0.54] N/g), polyurethane (0.16 [0.24] N/g), PP (0.16 [0.11] N/g), and total MPs (0.91 [6.58] N/g). The presence of MPs in BALF provides novel evidence that MPs penetrate deep into the respiratory tract.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010969	Plastics	Polymeric materials (usually organic) of large molecular weight which can be shaped by flow. Plastic usually refers to the final product with fillers, plasticizers, pigments, and stabilizers included (versus the resin, the homogeneous polymeric starting material). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Plastic
D011126	Polypropylenes	Propylene or propene polymers. Thermoplastics that can be extruded into fibers, films or solid forms. They are used as a copolymer in plastics, especially polyethylene. The fibers are used for fabrics, filters and surgical sutures.	Propene Polymers,Propylene Polymers,Hostalen,Marlex,Marlex Polypropylene,Polypro,Polypropylene,Prolene,Polymers, Propene,Polymers, Propylene,Polypropylene, Marlex
D001992	Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid	Washing liquid obtained from irrigation of the lung, including the BRONCHI and the PULMONARY ALVEOLI. It is generally used to assess biochemical, inflammatory, or infection status of the lung.	Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Lavage Fluid,Lung Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Lavage Fluid, Bronchial,Lavage Fluid, Lung,Pulmonary Lavage Fluid,Alveolar Lavage Fluids,Bronchial Lavage Fluids,Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids,Lavage Fluid, Alveolar,Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluid, Pulmonary,Lavage Fluids, Alveolar,Lavage Fluids, Bronchial,Lavage Fluids, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluids, Lung,Lavage Fluids, Pulmonary,Lung Lavage Fluids,Pulmonary Lavage Fluids
D004784	Environmental Monitoring	The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment.	Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000074285	Smokers	Persons with a history or habit of SMOKING.	Smokers, Non-Tobacco Products,Smokers, Tobacco,Vapers,Non-Tobacco Products Smoker,Non-Tobacco Products Smokers,Smoker,Smoker, Non-Tobacco Products,Smoker, Tobacco,Smokers, Non Tobacco Products,Tobacco Smoker,Tobacco Smokers,Vaper
D000080545	Microplastics	Plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in diameter, that are generated from the degradation of larger pieces or are manufactured to be microstructures or smaller.	Mesoplastics,Plastic Microparticles,Plastic Nanoparticles,Mesoplastic,Microparticle, Plastic,Microparticles, Plastic,Microplastic,Nanoparticle, Plastic,Nanoparticles, Plastic,Plastic Microparticle,Plastic Nanoparticle
D014874	Water Pollutants, Chemical	Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water.	Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water