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Ultrasonographic and Morphometric Characterization of Embryonic Development Following Maternal Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics
Summary
When pregnant rats were fed tiny plastic particles (like those found in bottled water and packaged food), their babies grew normally at first but showed slower growth later in pregnancy and after birth. Smaller plastic particles (1 micrometer) caused more noticeable effects than slightly larger ones (5 micrometers), suggesting the tiniest plastic bits may be more harmful to development. While this study was done in rats, not humans, it raises real questions about whether the microplastics we're all exposed to daily could affect pregnancy and infant growth.
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread environmental contaminants, yet their effects on reproductive and early ontogenetic development remain insufficiently understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the ef-fects of chronic pregestational and gestational exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) with particle sizes of 1 μm (G1) and 5 μm (G5) on embryonic and early postnatal development in Wistar rats, using com-bined ultrasonographic and morphometric assessment.Juvenile animals were subjected to a 30-day oral exposure to PS-MPs at a dose of 0.1 mg/day suspended in drinking water until sexual maturity. After mating, exposure in females continued throughout pregnancy, allowing the modeling of combined pregestational and gestational exposure.Ultrasonographic evaluation on gestational day 10 revealed no significant intergroup differences, sug-gesting unaffected early implantation and initial embryonic development. In contrast, gestational day 18 demonstrated statistically significant reductions in the main ultrasonographic parameters in exposed groups compared to controls, with the most pronounced alterations observed in G1, indicating a size-dependent effect during late gestation.Postnatal morphometric analysis demonstrated a tendency toward lower body weight and body length in offspring from exposed groups on postnatal days 2 and 21 (PND 2 and PND 21), while the physiological growth pattern remained preserved. Smaller particles (1 μm) induced more pronounced alterations than 5 μm particles.In conclusion, maternal exposure to PS-MPs was associated with measurable, phase-dependent changes in embryonic and postnatal development in Wistar rats, with effects tending to be more pronounced following exposure to smaller particles and during late gestation. These findings suggest that particle size may influence the biological activity of MPs and support the need for further investigation into their potential long-term reproductive effects.