Category Archives: Microplastics & Environmental Health

CONCLUSION: The findings of this review show that MPs and NPs accumulate in human reproductive tissues and may induce cellular dysfunction. Additional investigations into the impact of MPs and NPs on ovarian reserve markers and reproductive outcomes are needed to better understand the potential impacts of plastic particle exposure on reproductive health.

Global plastic production has potentially led to pervasive micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure across environmental, agricultural, and biological systems, now detected in every human tissue examined, from blood and placenta to brain and cardiovascular plaque, raising potential public health concerns. Given their small size and physicochemical properties, MNPs can infiltrate soil and water, enter plants and animals, and transfer along food and water systems, potentially reaching human tissues….

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the most widely used synthetic polymers, yet polyurethane-derived microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have received less attention than particles derived from polyethylene, polypropylene, or polystyrene. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the sources, environmental release, aging, human exposure pathways, biomonitoring findings, biological effects, and research gaps associated with PU-derived MNPs. The review synthesized 200 sources from database…

CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings indicated that PS NPs may dose-dependently induce endothelial dysfunction in ECs and histopathological damage in the cardiac tissue of chicken embryos. These toxic effects were likely mediated through affecting autophagy and atherosclerotic pathways, and the interaction of endothelial-immune cells. Therefore, the results emphasize the high potential for toxicity and cardiovascular risks associated with PS NPs.

Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) have been detected in human tissues, but the systemic consequences of chronic oral exposure remain unclear. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received environmentally relevant PS-NP concentrations of 5 or 50 mg/L in drinking water for 42 days. Gut-liver-endocrine interactions were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, fecal metabolomics, hepatic transcriptomics, and biochemical validation of selected nodes. PS-NP exposure caused notable dysregulation…

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a major environmental issue due to its potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. After more than 20 years of research and over 7000 publications, sufficient knowledge is now available to support the first ecological risk assessments. In this context, risk indices have emerged as tools for evaluating environmental quality and MP contamination. This review analyzed 361 studies investigating MP pollution and risk assessment indices, highlighting their…

Microplastic (MP; MPs) and nanoplastic (NP; NPs) pollution poses a growing threat to global health. Their small size and large surface area facilitate ingestion, accumulation, and interactions with biological systems, leading to toxicity through oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. These effects may occur directly or through the release of adsorbed pollutants and plastic additives. Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene; RV), a natural polyphenol…

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that PS-NPs exposure induces penile endothelial injury and fibrosis, potentially through disruption of cell adhesion and tight junction integrity mediated by CLDN1 downregulation, providing mechanistic insight into the potential risks of PS-NPs exposure to male sexual health.

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants linked to reproductive and developmental health. Plastic particles or polymeric residues have been detected in human blood, placenta, meconium, breast milk, fetal appendages, and umbilical venous blood, indicating maternal-fetal interface exposure during pregnancy. Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a placental syndrome in which the fetus fails to achieve its growth potential, and impaired placental vascular,…

The risk to agricultural production and human health from micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) exposure cannot be ignored, making it imperative to find effective mitigation strategies. Nanoscale magnesium oxide (MgO·NP) has been widely demonstrated to enhance plant stress resistance by activating defense pathways. However, its ability to mitigate MNPs stress remains unexplored. A greenhouse soil culture experiment was conducted by co-adding five predominant soil MNPs (polyethylene terephthalate (PET),…