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From insects to mammals! Tissue accumulation and transgenerational transfer of micro/nano-plastics through the food chain
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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.
Despite extensive global attention on microplastic pollution, our understanding of the pathways underlying microplastic translocation, accumulation, and their potential impacts on ecosystems and human health through the food chain remains incomplete. To investigate the translocation and accumulation of microplastics from insects to mammals, we developed a novel oral exposure model that Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworms, invertebrate terrestrial insects) were firstly orally exposed to both micro and nanometer-sized plastics (M/NPs), and subsequently fed as a food source to mice (mammals). Our results provide clear evidence that micro/nanoplastics (M/NPs) do indeed translocate through the food chain, from lower to higher trophic levels. Fluorescence microscopy and tissue quantification revealed the accumulation of M/NPs in the digestive, somatic, and circulatory systems of the larvae. Specifically, the food chain transferred M/NPs were later detected in the digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems of mice, showcasing strong fluorescent signals in vital organs such as the lungs, liver, intestines, brain, and kidneys, as well as in embryos. These findings highlight the intricate dynamics of M/NPs contamination, emphasizing their ability to traverse biological barriers, accumulate in organisms, and potentially impact embryonic development via food chain transfer.
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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 ingestion induces behavioral disorders in mice: A preliminary study on the trophic transfer effects via tadpoles and fish
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Polyethylene microplastics fed to tadpoles accumulated through the food chain into fish and then mice, and mice that ate contaminated fish showed increased anxiety, reduced locomotion, and impaired defensive behavior. The study demonstrates that microplastics can trophically transfer from aquatic to terrestrial animals and cause behavioral effects.
Trophic transfer and individual impact of nano-sized polystyrene in a four-species freshwater food chain
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Researchers traced nano-sized polystyrene plastics through a four-species freshwater food chain — from algae to water fleas to two fish species — finding that nanoplastics transferred at each level and caused reduced activity, liver damage in fish, and penetration into fish embryos. The results highlight the broad ecological and health risks of nanoplastics moving up through aquatic food webs.
Cross-Organ Toxicity and Metabolic Responses to Food Chain-Transferred Nanoplastics: Mechanistic Insights from a Multiomics Perspective
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Scientists tracked tiny plastic particles as they moved up the food chain—from plastic to worms to mice—and found the plastics built up throughout the body, affecting the heart and disrupting how the body processes fat and manages inflammation. The liver seemed to act as a control center, spreading these effects to other organs. This matters because it shows plastic pollution could pose real risks to our health through the food we eat, not just where the plastic ends up in the environment—though more research is needed to know what this means for long-term human health.
Application of marine organisms at multi-trophic level to study the integrated biological responses induced by microplastics through food-chain
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Researchers used marine organisms across multiple trophic levels to study how microplastics move and accumulate through the food chain, finding that toxicological effects intensify at higher trophic levels due to bioaccumulation of plastic particles and associated chemical pollutants.
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