Tag Archives: MicroPlastics

Nanoplastics have emerged as important environmental contaminants with potential risks to animal and human health; however, their effects on intestinal epithelial cells remain unclear. In this study, polystyrene nanoplastics (PS) were used to investigate cytotoxic mechanisms in porcine intestinal epithelial cells(IPI-2I). PS exposure was associated with oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevated reactive oxygen species levels, altered oxidative stress-related indicators, and mitochondrial…

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the aggregation of α-synuclein, with increasing evidence implicating environmental factors and neuroimmune dysfunction in its pathogenesis. Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), ubiquitous environmental pollutants generated from plastic degradation, have recently emerged as potential biological stressors capable of entering the human body and accumulating in sensitive tissues,…

CONCLUSION: Airborne MPs are a respiratory toxicant, but definitive causal evidence is constrained by a critical gap between experimental and environmentally relevant concentrations and a polymer-specific research bias. Future studies must prioritize environmentally relevant exposures, investigate high-risk polymers, and integrate exposomics with advanced toxicology.

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have become widespread contaminants with notable impacts on reproductive health. MNPs have been found in human specimens, including follicle fluid, causing concerns regarding their negative impact on female fertility. The present review aimed to comprehensively examine the ovarian deleterious impacts of MNPs, and to analyze their toxicological mechanisms, impact on folliculogenesis and oocyte quality, transgenerational effects and influencing factors….

Our daily and continuous exposure to airborne micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) together with the limited information on their potential hazards, warrants the need for more information on MNP-toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effects of diverse size ranges of amorphous MNPs from environmentally relevant polymers, on Air-Liquid-Interface (ALI)-cultured Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial cells (NHBEs) by analyzing immunological response parameters 24 h after exposure. In addition, we have…

CONCLUSION: The current evidence base supports aggressive exposure reduction as the most defensible “first-line” strategy. Nutritional approaches (dietary fiber, gut-barrier support, and microbiome modulation) are best framed as adjunctive, mechanistically plausible risk-mitigation strategies rather than proven methods to remove plastics from the body. Well-designed human trials and standardized analytical protocols are needed before clinical “detoxification” claims can be justified.

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly detected in human tissues and biofluids, raising concerns about their potential health impacts. Yet, despite growing evidence of human exposure, reliable characterization of these particles remains a major analytical challenge. This review critically evaluates sample-preparation strategies, detection methodologies, and toxicological evidence for MNPs in human biological samples. MNPs have been detected across major human organ systems and…

Macrophages are central to host immunity and tissue homeostasis, exhibiting remarkable functional plasticity across a continuum of states-ranging from pro-inflammatory (M1-like) to anti-inflammatory and tissue-reparative (M2-like) phenotypes. Environmental exposures can induce persistent epigenetic changes that shape macrophage responses well beyond the acute phase, a phenomenon now recognized as trained immunity. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on how diverse components of…

Micro- and nanoplastics have been shown to cross biological barriers, reach the female reproductive tract, and infiltrate ovarian tissue, raising critical concerns about their potential impact on reproductive health and early-life outcomes. Elucidating how nanoplastics interact with ovarian cells is therefore essential for risk assessment, but requires ultra-sensitive analytical approaches capable of resolving rare events at the nanoscale. Detecting individual polymeric nanoplastics within…

CONCLUSIONS: Although direct comparisons with previous studies are limited due to methodological variability among studies and the lack of standardized protocols for MNP quantification in human urine, these findings provide preliminary evidence of urinary MNPs in children. Further large-scale studies using harmonized analytical approaches are needed to better characterize exposure patterns in pediatric populations.