New research has shown that breathing in microplastics can cause inflammation and damage to the lungs.

This potentially increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer, a statement from Australia’s University of Technology Sydney on Tuesday said.

World Health Organisation data links air pollution to around seven million premature deaths yearly, and airborne microplastics from synthetic carpets, clothing and household dust may worsen respiratory risks, it said.

“Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, smaller than 5mm, that are released when larger plastic items break down or shed fibres,” said lead author Keshav Raj Paudel, a UTS senior researcher on chronic respiratory diseases.

“The lungs are particularly vulnerable to microplastic damage due to their large surface area and limited ability to clear particles, particularly smaller ones that travel deep into the lungs,” he said, adding lung cancer tumours contain more microplastics than healthy tissue.

(Xinhua/NAN)