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01 | Microplastics Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals and Human Health: Metabolic and Reproductive Risks in a One Health Perspective
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Researchers review evidence that microplastics detected in human placenta, blood, and breast milk release endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols and phthalates, which drive insulin resistance, impaired gametogenesis, and potentially transgenerational epigenetic effects — positioning microplastic-associated EDCs as systemic modulators of metabolic and reproductive health.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants with clear evidence of human exposure. In fact, they have been detected in placenta1, blood, meconium, and breast milk2, raising urgent concerns about early-life and prenatal vulnerability. Far from being inert, MPs can penetrate cells, localize within organelles, and trigger oxidative stress, mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction, inflammation, and apoptosis, thus altering metabolic and reproductive health of organisms. Beyond their physical presence, MPs undergo degradation in biological and environmental contexts, releasing chemical additives such as bisphenols and phthalates. These degradation products act as potent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), amplifying the systemic toxicity of MPs. Clinically, MPs/EDCs exposure has been linked to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity, altered steroidogenesis, impaired gametogenesis, and reduced reproductive fitness, with evidence for sex-specific and potentially transgenerational effects. These findings position MPs-EDCs as active modulators of human health, affecting metabolism, reproduction, and epigenetic programming. Experimental studies in zebrafish reveal conserved pathways of EDCs-induced cellular stress and reproductive dysfunction, offering predictive insights for human health. Cutting-edge human models, including intestinal organoids and osteoblast spheroids3, allow investigation of EDCs toxicity, identification of early biomarkers, and testing of potential interventions. A One Health approach is essential, integrating environmental monitoring, mechanistic toxicology, advanced in vitro models, and microbiome-targeted strategies to prevent exposure, to enable early diagnostics, and to develop therapeutic interventions ultimately safeguarding human and ecosystem health in the Anthropocene.References1. Ragusa A, Svelato A, Santacroce C, et al. Plasticenta: first evidence of microplastics in human placenta. Environ Int 2021;146:106274.2. Ragusa A, Notarstefano V, Svelato A, et al. Raman microspectroscopy detection and characterisation of microplastics in human breastmilk. Polymers (Basel) 2022;14:2700.3. Sella E, Cacchioli A, Borsani E, et al. Unveiling the toxic effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on osteoblast function and extracellular matrix deposition using 2D and 3D models. Cell Death Discov 2026;12:10.
More Papers Like This
01 | Microplastics Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals and Human Health: Metabolic and Reproductive Risks in a One Health Perspective
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Microplastics have been found in human blood, placenta, and even breast milk—and this review of existing research shows they're not just harmless specks passing through our bodies. As they break down, they release hormone-disrupting chemicals like bisphenols and phthalates that may contribute to insulin resistance, weight gain, and fertility problems, with some evidence these effects could even pass to future generations. While more research is needed to fully understand the risks in humans, scientists say reducing plastic exposure and developing better ways to detect these effects early could help protect both our health and our reproductive future.
Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants: Investigating their Potential to Alter Human Metabolic and Endocrine Systems
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This review investigated the potential of microplastics to alter human hormone signaling, synthesizing evidence that plastic particles and their chemical additives can act as endocrine disruptors at environmentally relevant concentrations. The paper highlighted reproductive and metabolic pathways as areas of particular concern.
Implications of plastic-derived endocrine disruptors on human health
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This review summarizes how chemicals released from plastics, known as endocrine disruptors, can interfere with the body's hormone systems. Common substances like BPA and phthalates mimic or block hormones, contributing to obesity, diabetes, reproductive problems, and developmental issues in children. Micro- and nanoplastics make the problem worse because they can release these hormone-disrupting chemicals inside the body after being ingested or inhaled.
Micro- and nanoplastics: Emerging environmental threats to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastic exposure may contribute to chronic health conditions through the lens of developmental origins of health and disease. Evidence suggests that microplastics accumulate in human metabolic and reproductive tissues and may induce physiological and epigenetic changes that could potentially be inherited by future generations, though research into these mechanisms is still in early stages.
Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics: a mechanistic perspective of health risks associated with metabolic and reproductive functions
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and the mechanisms by which they may disrupt metabolic and reproductive health. Researchers describe how these particles are absorbed through the gut, enter the bloodstream, and accumulate in organs where they can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption. The evidence indicates that micro- and nanoplastics, particularly those carrying endocrine-disrupting chemicals, may pose significant risks to fertility and metabolic function.
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