Microplastics were found deep in the lower lungs of living human beings in almost every person sampled in a recent UK study.
The study discovered microplastic particles—present in many masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic—in the lung tissue of 11 out of 13 patients undergoing surgery.
Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the most prevalent substances present in the lungs.
The plastic dust and microscopic debris comprises the same plastics used to manufacture the ubiquitous surgical masks worn by hundreds of millions of people around the world as mandated by governments in an attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19.
Microplastics were also detected in human blood for the first time in March, showing the particles can travel around the human body and may become embedded in organs. The impact on health is still to be determined.