Can a comparison of lungs from 1991 and 2024 show how plastic exposure is changing? In this episode of In Conversation With…, Evgenia Koutsouki, Senior Editor at The Lancet Group, speaks with Dr Francesco Prattichizzo of IRCCS MultiMedica about the study on “Microplastics in human lung tissue from autopsy samples collected in 1991 and 2024: a comparative post-mortem study.” The study found that microplastics were more common in 2024 than in 1991 in lung tissues, with higher particle burdens, smaller particles, and a wider range of polymers. Lung samples containing microplastics also showed markers associated with inflammation and fibrosis, although the study cannot establish causation. Dr Prattichizzo discusses what these findings mean, how the samples were analysed, the risk of contamination, possible exposure routes, and what evidence is needed next, including studies in living populations.
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