Persistent micro- and nanoplastics as triggers for interstitial lung disease

持久性微塑料和纳米塑料是间质性肺病的诱因

• 批准号: MR/Y012682/1
• 负责人: Stephanie Wright
• 金额: $ 162.31万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FY012682%2F1
• 关键词: Persistent; micro; nanoplastics; triggers; interstitial

Plastic is the third most abundant manmade material on Earth. It degrades and sheds particles or fibres too small to see with the naked eye, known as 'micro- and nanoplastic' (MNP). These particles are a newly recognised part of pollution in indoor and outdoor air and are of concern due to their potential to cross biological boundaries and enter living cells. This has alerted scientists, government, media and the public: the health effects of air pollution are well defined, but the additional impacts of breathing in plastic dust are poorly understood. This will become increasingly important for public health; plastic materials will continue to shed, even if there are efforts to reduce airpollution from other sources.In some plastic industries, workers exposed to high levels of fine plastic dust can develop lung disease leading to lung tissue scarring and compromised breathing. In this research, we seek to investigate this in greater detail, using a range of experimental (lung) models to determine the level of risk which exposure to environmental MNP air pollution presents, and the associated biological pathways leading to disease. We will do this by: 1. Quantifying exposure to past and present MNP by reanalysing old and analysing new air pollution samples for plastic. 2. Making different microplastic particles and fibres using milling, spinning and cutting techniques to ask controlled questions about the drivers of toxicity. The types of MNP materials will be based on those most commonly produced and found in the environment. 3. Evaluating the toxicity of inhaled MNP in the lung, using human relevant cell models and key markers of hazards posed by MNP to the lung. 4. Assess the longer term impacts of MNP inhalation on the development of lung tissue scarring in an animal model.This novel and multidisciplinary research will advance understanding on whether there are impacts of inhaled MNP in the lung and why. This is an increasingly important knowledge gap. Rising plastic production will contribute to the plastic component of air pollution in the long term. In the short term, plastic materials shed and we have no knowledge of what the impact of inhaling this material might be. The findings will be important for national and international governments because they will allow them to assess the risks of inhaling microplastics. It will highlight whether any interventions are required to minimise exposure in the future. Medical professionals will benefit from being aware of the potential hazards when treating individuals with respiratory illness. The findings will also help industry develop safer alternatives to plastic materials.

塑料是地球上第三丰富的人造材料。它会降解并脱落肉眼无法看到的小颗粒或纤维，称为“微米和纳米塑料”(MNP)。这些颗粒是室内和室外空气污染的新认识部分，由于它们有可能跨越生物边界并进入活细胞，因此受到关注。这提醒了科学家、政府、媒体和公众：空气污染对健康的影响已经明确，但人们对吸入塑料粉尘的额外影响却知之甚少。这对于公共卫生将变得越来越重要；即使努力减少其他来源的空气污染，塑料材料仍将继续脱落。在一些塑料行业，接触高浓度细塑料粉尘的工人可能会患上肺部疾病，导致肺部组织疤痕和呼吸困难。在这项研究中，我们寻求更详细地研究这一问题，使用一系列实验（肺）模型来确定暴露于环境 MNP 空气污染所带来的风险水平，以及导致疾病的相关生物途径。我们将通过以下方式做到这一点： 1. 通过重新分析旧的和新的塑料空气污染样本来量化过去和现在的 MNP 暴露。 2. 使用研磨、纺丝和切割技术制造不同的微塑料颗粒和纤维，以询问有关毒性驱动因素的受控问题。 MNP 材料的类型将基于环境中最常生产和发现的材料。 3.利用人类相关细胞模型和MNP对肺部造成危害的关键标志物，评估吸入MNP对肺部的毒性。 4. 在动物模型中评估吸入 MNP 对肺组织疤痕形成的长期影响。这项新颖的多学科研究将增进对吸入 MNP 是否对肺部产生影响及其原因的理解。这是一个日益重要的知识差距。从长远来看，塑料产量的增加将加剧空气污染中的塑料成分。在短期内，塑料材料会脱落，我们不知道吸入这种材料可能会产生什么影响。这些发现对于国家和国际政府来说非常重要，因为它们将使他们能够评估吸入微塑料的风险。它将强调是否需要采取任何干预措施来尽量减少未来的暴露。医疗专业人员在治疗患有呼吸道疾病的人时，如果意识到潜在的危险，将会受益匪浅。研究结果还将帮助行业开发更安全的塑料材料替代品。