Microplastics – An Emerging Threat to Lung Health?

Microplastics (MPs) can arise from a variety of sources, including by design, as in the case of microbeads used in cosmetic and personal care products. Or inadvertently, as the result of degradation of larger plastic products. MPs are ubiquitous, so can be found in the oceans, air, and food supply.¹ Microplastics enter our bodies from food, drinking water, respiration or via our skin.²

Dr Laura Sadofsky presents on the topic of microplastics. She also presents data and research into microplastics within households, the surgical environment, occupational exposure and the general effect of MPs on human health.

She discusses problems and future considerations of research in this area such as characteristics of microplastics and the potential impact on human health.

References

1. Microplastics are everywhere — we need to understand how they affect human health. Nat Med 30, 913 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02968-x

2. Breast Cancer UK. Microplastics and the human health impact. https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/microplastics-and-the-human-health-impact/

We hope that you found the content valuable. To ensure that we continue to provide topics and content of interest, we would very much value your feedback by completing a short questionnaire.

• Dr Laura Sadofsky

  Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine

  Read biography
  Dr Laura Sadofsky

  Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine Hull York Medical School

  Role and Location
  Dr Laura Sadofsky is a Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine in the Centre for Biomedicine. She is the programme director for the MSc in Pharmacology and Education and Chair of the Hull York Medical School Athena SWAN committee.

  Research Interests
  Dr Laura Sadofsky’s group is interested in the role of ion channels, specifically the thermo-TRPs (Transient Receptor Potential ion channels) and the purinoceptors, in cough and airways inflammation. Her laboratory is currently using human cells and tissue to develop models of the human airways. Using these models, they hope to better understand the changes which occur in the airways in response to viruses as well as environmental stimuli and pharmaceuticals.