Recent findings show that a wide range of foods and waters contain microscopic plastics, and new animal studies indicate these tiny particles can pass from pregnant mice to their unborn offspring, potentially influencing fetal development. While there is still much to learn, experts stress that the same process could occur in humans, raising concerns about public health implications and the need for further investigation.
Philip Demokritou, a professor of nanoscience and environmental bioengineering at the Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey, notes that there is still a great deal to understand, but the current evidence warrants attention and continued study.
A typical person swallows microscopic plastic particles each week, a figure Democrito highlights. This plastic finds its way into the body through food and can also be inhaled as fragments rise from soil and air.
Earlier work in animal models suggested that introducing plastics into the diet could harm developing offspring, yet those studies did not demonstrate transmission from mother to pup.
In the latest experiments, researchers administered microplastics to five pregnant mice. Using high-resolution imaging, they confirmed that plastic particles reached the placental barrier and appeared in the livers, kidneys, hearts, lungs, and brains of the fetuses.
Microplastics reach the placenta
These results indicate that the plastics may cross intestinal barriers in the mother and penetrate the maternal-fetal interface supplied by the placenta, potentially affecting fetal tissues, according to the study authors.
Plastics entered the market in large quantities after World War II due to their low cost and versatility. Of the roughly 9 billion tons produced over six decades, a substantial portion has entered the environment, and recycling rates remain low. As Demokritou noted in a Rutgers press release reported by HealthDay, the environmental footprint of plastics is substantial and long-lasting.
He adds that petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable; instead, they break down with exposure to air and light. Public health researchers aim to assess the health risks posed by this new pollutant, informing policymakers and guiding mitigation strategies. The goals include increasing reuse and recycling of plastics and exploring biodegradable alternatives, including biopolymer-based options.
The study also showed that offspring from mothers exposed to plastics exhibited slower growth, with developing brains, livers, testes, immune systems, and metabolic processes showing signs of disruption.
While it remains unclear if these effects occur in pregnant people, some research suggests similar risks to human embryonic development, according to Demokritou.
The researchers emphasize that future work will examine how different types of plastic cross cell barriers, how particle size influences movement across tissues, and the specific impacts on fetal development.
Reference work: MDPI Nanomaterials 13(4)720.
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Note: The environment department intends to continue investigating this topic to better understand potential exposures and health outcomes.