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Microplastics can cause malignant changes in lung cells
Last reviewed: 27.07.2025
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Although the respiratory system is one of the main routes by which microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) enter the body from the air, very little is known about the effects of these tiny particles on the lungs. Scientists from the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna) have shown for the first time that MNPs can cause malignant changes in lung cells associated with the development of cancer. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials and once again highlight the need for urgent measures to reduce plastic waste.
In the study, a team led by Karin Schelch, Balazs Döhme and Büschra Ernhofer (all from the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Comprehensive Cancer Center at MedUni Vienna) examined how polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics (PS-MNPs) interact with different types of lung cells. Polystyrene is a plastic widely used in everyday items, including food packaging and disposable tableware such as yogurt cups and to-go coffee cups.
An unexpected result: healthy (non-cancerous) lung cells took up the particularly small particles (0.00025 millimeters) of PS-MNPs significantly more than malignant cancer cells and responded with biological changes that again point to the health risks associated with MNPs.
In particular, after contact with particles, the following were observed in healthy cells:
- increased cell migration,
- DNA damage,
- oxidative stress,
- activation of signaling pathways that promote cell growth and survival—all of which are considered early signs of cancer development.
"Particularly striking was the reduced ability of healthy cells to repair DNA damage and the simultaneous activation of certain signaling pathways that normally stimulate cell growth," said study leader Karin Schelch.
The long-term consequences are not yet clear.
While lung cancer cells remained relatively unaffected under the same conditions, even short-term exposure to BNPs could be enough to influence healthy lung cells toward malignant changes. Recent data suggest that cells also activate defense mechanisms when exposed to polystyrene particles.
"We observed activation of antioxidant defense systems, indicating that the cells are actively defending themselves against the stress caused by plastic particles," explains the study's first author, Büschra Ernhofer.
The lungs are considered one of the main routes of exposure to airborne microplastics. However, little was previously known about how these particles interact with lung cells. “The new data provide the first indication that it is healthy lung cells that are responding in a way that is of concern,” adds study co-author Balazs Döhme.
This raises new questions about the possible links between plastic pollution, chronic lung diseases and cancer development, and highlights the need for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of environmental medicine and oncobiology and urgent measures to reduce plastic waste. In addition, the long-term effects of MNP exposure on the lungs remain unclear and, according to the researchers, require urgent study.