What happens to all the non air stuff like dust, pollen, other particles that we inhale into our lungs, where does it go?
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Tiny hairs in the lungs move the particles up out of the lungs and it is either then swallowed or coughed up.
Most of it gets trapped in the mucus in your nose, which gets swallowed, digested, and pooped out. Anything that makes it into your lungs gets trapped in the mucus in your lungs, which gets coughed or sneezed out, swallowed, digested, and pooped out. Molecules that *can* be absorbed into your blood, like water or nicotine, do so.
Your lungs can also release macrophages – immune cells that break down and “consume” invaders, mostly pathogens like bacteria or fungi. Your macrophages will break down bigger bits of dust and particles, but it’s *slow* so most of that stuff will get coughed out. If it does get broken down, it will be small enough to be coughed or sneezed out, or maybe even just exhaled out. It may also get absorbed into your blood and filtered out by your kidneys.
Whatever isn’t captured in the nose or mouth sticks to the sides of our airway. Small wiggly hairs called cillia gradually move these particles to the throat where we either swallow them or cough them out.
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