New research has showed that breathing in micro plastics 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 (UTS) on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, said.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, typically less than 5 millimeters in size, that persist in the environment and can accumulate in ecosystems and the human body.
World Health Organisation data links air pollution to around 7 million premature deaths yearly, and airborne micro plastics from synthetic carpets, clothing and household dust may worsen respiratory risks, it said.
“Micro plastics are tiny fragments of plastic, smaller than 5mm, that are released when larger plastic items break down or shed fibers,” said lead author, Keshav Raj Paudel, a UTS senior researcher on chronic respiratory diseases.
“The lungs are particularly vulnerable to micro plastic 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 tumors contain more micro plastics than healthy tissue.