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Cross-organ multilayered biological perturbations driven by food chain-transferred microplastics: implications for mammalian health effects and risks
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Mice were fed mealworms that had been exposed to polystyrene microplastics, modeling how plastics move through a food chain. Researchers found microplastics accumulated across six organs, with changes in genes linked to oxidative stress, immune response, tissue scarring, and metabolism, forming a connected pattern of effects across organs rather than damage limited to one organ.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a global environmental and health concern. To elucidate its realistic biological impact, this study established a food chain‑transferred exposure model using polystyrene microplastics, from mealworms to mice. Multimodal analyses of six organs revealed extensive microplastic accumulation and systemic toxicity after exposure. Key molecular interactions involving ADA , APOE , CAT , COL1A1 , FAS , HLA‑DQB1 , ITGB3 , NFE2L2 , NFKBIA , NQO1 , SERPINE1 , TNFRSF1A , VEGFA , CCR2 , and HLA‑DQA1 collectively linked oxidative, immune, fibrotic, and metabolic pathways, forming an integrated cross‑organ toxicity network. These findings demonstrate that food chain‑transferred microplastics induce multi‑layered biological perturbations rather than isolated organ damage, providing new insight into the health hazards of environmental microplastics and highlighting the urgency of long‑term ecological risk assessment.
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In a novel experiment, researchers fed microplastic-exposed mealworms to mice and tracked the particles as they moved up the food chain. The plastics accumulated in the mice's lungs, liver, brain, kidneys, and even embryos, providing clear evidence that microplastics transfer through the food chain from lower to higher organisms and can cross biological barriers to reach developing offspring.
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Researchers fed mice polystyrene microplastics of two sizes and tracked where the particles accumulated in the body, finding them in the liver, kidneys, and gut with distribution patterns depending on particle size. Biochemical analysis revealed that microplastic exposure disrupted energy and fat metabolism, caused oxidative stress, and altered markers of neurotoxicity in the blood. The study provides evidence that microplastics can accumulate in mammalian tissues and may pose widespread health risks.
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