2025 Challenge: The Impact of Particle Pollution on Human Health

This first challenge area of the Centre focuses on the plastic micro/nano-particles (PMN) from industrial processes related to plastic use and how these impact our health and the health of environment in which we live.    Imperial and TUM are uniquely matched to take on the challenge of understanding how humanity can withstand the challenges of pollution with plastic micro/nano-particles (PMN); and how industry and society can work to mitigate and reverse the impacts of PMNs.

These PMNs are now found in the deepest oceans, in the highest mountains, in our food chain, and even in organs. They accumulate in water, air, the food chain, and gain access into the human body via the gastrointestinal tract and the lungs; damaging planetary and human health. We aim to better detect these particles in our bodies and understand how they impact our health, to design better products to reduce the number of these particles, and to improve people’s health through this work.

The research pillars of the challenge area will be complemented by an approach that seeks to:

  • shape policy and regulatory frameworks based on evidence-based science including advanced research into pollutant formation (and mitigation), pollutant characterisation, innovation in detection and monitoring of pollution in the environment, biological response to pollutants and consequential health impacts.
  • work with industry consortia to align industrial developments and practices with cutting-edge research, ensuring a resilient future where technological advancements coexist with environmental and human health sustainability.

The overarching objective of the partnership is to develop a programme that will span research, innovation, policy engagement, education, and that is well placed to address the core challenges that arise in the study of PMNs. Initially, we shall focus on PMNs from tyre wear, as these pose a particular challenge to our society. Specifically, the research activity of the challenge areas will be complemented by an approach that seeks to shape policy and regulatory frameworks, and to work with industry consortia to align industrial developments and practices with cutting-edge research, ensuring resilient human health in the future where technological advancements and innovation coexist with environmental and human health sustainability.

Imperial and TUM have taken on the challenge of understanding how humanity can withstand the challenges of pollution with PMN-particles; and how industry and society can work to mitigate and reverse the impacts of PMNs.

Pillar I | Identification of the characteristics and determinants of environmental pollutants (plastic micro/nanoparticles) that trigger inflammation and tissue damage. Building on extensive work at Imperial on the toxic potential of engineering nanoparticles this pillar will consider specific use-cases and environmental exposures to create risk-based map of characteristics.

Pillar II | Creation of highly sensitive and specific innovative sensors and molecular detection tools to measure and quantify tissue-damaging pollutants in the environment

The science and technical work will be underpinned by an ambition to build:

  • Resilience by Design - A European industry-consortia committed to foster collaboration across key sectors—including automotive, manufacturing, and information and communication technology (ICT)—to design and implement preventative measures within production and industrial processes.
  • A health resilience policy and regulatory network at European level to consider the societal impact of the changing environment on human health, building on expertise in social sciences, environmental policy and technology adoption. Working with European regulatory bodies and policy networks, the consortia will provide actionable recommendations for environmental standards and health-centric guidelines, ensuring a balanced approach to industrial innovation and public safety

The knowledge gap

Environmental changes driven by the escalating pollution of plastic micro- and nano-particles and rising global temperatures pose increasingly complex and severe challenges to human health. While the scientific community has made strides in forecasting future pollution levels and temperature increases, we are rapidly approaching critical tipping points. These include the potential for micro- and nano-particle pollution to reach hazardous levels and for temperature rises to accelerate beyond current predictions. However, a significant gap remains in our understanding of how these environmental stressors interact to impact human health. Without this essential knowledge, we are ill-equipped to develop strategies to mitigate their effects, leaving societies vulnerable to the cascading risks of these intertwined global crises. Bridging this gap is imperative to safeguard human health and resilience in the face of these unprecedented challenges.

Emerging research highlights that heat stress scenarios may amplify immunological responses, potentially exacerbating the inflammatory effects of particulate pollution. This interaction could lead to greater cellular damage and heightened susceptibility to specific disease states such as asthma, bowel disorders, and, over the longer term, cancers and cardiovascular diseases, which are increasingly linked to inflammation. Understanding these synergistic effects is crucial to comprehending the full scope of health risks posed by rising temperatures and particulate pollution, providing a foundation for targeted interventions and adaptive strategies to reduce their impact on public health.

Pollution with plastic micro/nanoparticles stems from industrial production processes and the abundant use of plastic in many areas of daily life. Beyond restricting the use of plastic, however, we need to understand how plastic micro/nano-particles cause harm to the human body. Recent studies identified the accumulation of plastic micro/nano-particles in human inflamed tissues and linked it to the development and aggravation of atherosclerotic disease.

The human immune system has developed to defend the body against infectious pathogens and environmental pollutants and, therefore, most likely plays a pivotal role in the response to environmental pollutants and in the induction of disease-promoting inflammation in the organs of the human body. Chronic inflammation is recognised as the cause of degenerative diseases, organ failure, cancer and dementia, strengthening the urgent need to understand the relationship between inflammation and pollutants.

The Challenges – and Opportunities

Identification of pollutants causing inflammation and disease

Pollutants such as plastic micro/nano-particles arise during industrial production processes, from vehicle tyres and from the widespread use of plastic materials. These pollutants accumulate in water, soil, and the entire food chain, making it impossible for humans to escape exposure to these pollutants. The discovery that these pollutants accumulate in the human body in areas of chronic inflammation makes it mandatory to investigate whether they are the cause of inflammation.

The response of the human body´s immune system towards these pollutants is currently not understood. The researchers in Pillar I will identify whether and which type of plastic micro/nano-particles activate the immune system and thereby trigger inflammation in organs of the human body. Interdisciplinary research teams from life sciences, medicine, material science, chemistry, and industry will work closely together to achieve this advancement in understanding how these particles induce inflammation and disease. This knowledge will be instrumental in developing methods to block inflammation and in modifying industrial production processes to reduce the generation of those particles that cause inflammation.

Innovative sensors for the detection and quantification of pollutants

Detection and quantification of pollutants, in particular, plastic micro/nano-particles, is very difficult so far. It is important, however, to detect and quantify these particles in water, soil, the food chain and the human body. Interdisciplinary teams of scientists in Pillar II from material science, environmental science, public health and life science will develop innovative detection methods that will allow the sensitive and quantitative detection of those particles identified in Pillar I to be causing activation of the human immune system and tissue/organ inflammation.

This gain in technology and, consequently, knowledge of the distribution of harmful pollutants will be key to instructing the industry on improved production processes to avoid the generation of harmful particles. It will also provide important information to governmental bodies on potential concerns for human health.