This study, based on in vitro and in vivo models of pre-coal dust fibrosis, demonstrated for the first time that coal dust nanoparticles induced pulmonary fibrosis by promoting inflammation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway driven by IGF1/ROS-mediated AKT/GSK3β signals. Here, NLRP3 is linked to pulmonary fibrosis.