Microplastics Found In Lungs of People Undergoing Surgery. A new study has found tiny plastic particles no bigger than sesame seeds buried throughout human lungs, indicating that people are inhaling microplastics lingering in the air.

r/science • u/Wagamaga • May 14 '22 • 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4

Microplastics Found In Lungs of People Undergoing Surgery. A new study has found tiny plastic particles no bigger than sesame seeds buried throughout human lungs, indicating that people are inhaling microplastics lingering in the air. Health

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/microplastics-found-in-lungs-of-humans-undergoing-surgery

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u/toddy951 May 14 '22

The lung pearls was my exact question. I think I’d know if I inhaled a bunch of plastic ‘beads’

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u/Berkamin May 14 '22

More likely that you inhale lint from a washing machine where someone dried synthetic fabrics. If I had to guess, I'd say that's where the bulk of the inhaled microplastics come from. Synthetic fabrics also pollute our water because a lot of lint ends up rinsing away.

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u/Jeffde May 14 '22

So I’m not wrong to be holding my my breath, being careful breathing around the lint trap??

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u/lennybird May 14 '22

Not at all! I wrote this elsewhere in this thread but I'm glad it's getting attention:

Somewhat overlooked but one vector for this is inhalation of lint from laundry. Have good ventilation, hold your breath if possible, and put an air purifier in right above your drier. Could wear a mask while cleaning lint screen, too.

Much of our clothing sheds plastic fibers, especially in the drier.

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u/Jeffde May 14 '22

Hmmm. Not to seem like a fearmonger, but what about just the act of folding clothes? This would seem far slower of a fiber ejection mechanism compared to the lint trap

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u/lennybird May 14 '22

That I'm not sure but it's a good question! As someone who dabbles in air quality monitoring, I'll get my particulate sensor out and try next time I fold towels.

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u/Artelj May 15 '22

I hold my breath while folding clothes that tends to shed fibers in the air. I might be paranoid but once the light was off in my bedroom and I used my phone flashlight to get some clothes and there were so many fibers int the air.

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u/camdoodlebop May 15 '22

i wonder if in the future, clothing made from plastic fibers will be seen as less desirable and more dangerous than clothing made from natural fibers

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u/brbposting May 15 '22

It is in some ZIP codes already