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The combined effects of polystyrene of different sizes and cadmium in mouse kidney tissues
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Researchers studied how polystyrene particles of different sizes combined with cadmium affect kidney health in mice. They found that smaller nanoplastic particles (100 nm) caused more severe kidney damage than larger ones (1 micrometer), and that exposure to both sizes together with cadmium produced the worst outcomes. The study suggests that in real-world conditions where plastics of various sizes coexist with heavy metals, the combined toxic effects on kidneys may be more complicated and harmful than exposure to any single contaminant.
Environmental accumulation of nano- and microplastics pose serious risks to human health. Polystyrene (PS) is a polymer commonly used in the production of plastics. However, PS can adsorb cadmium (Cd), thereby influencing bioavailability and toxicity in vivo. Moreover, PS and Cd can accumulate in the mammalian kidney. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effects of combined exposure to PS and Cd in the kidney. Kidney damage was evaluated in male mice gavaged with PS (diameter, 100 nm and/or 1 μm) and Cd for 25 days.The results showed that PS at 100 nm caused more severe oxidative damage and cell apoptosis than PS at 1 μm. Combined exposure to PS at both 100 nm and 1 μm caused more severe kidney damage than the single administration groups. The extent of kidney toxicity caused by Cd differed with the combination of PS particles at 100 nm vs. 1 μm. The degree of damage to kidney function, pathological changes, and cell apoptosis induced by Cd+100 nm PS+1μm PS was the most severe. An increase in the Bax/Bcl2 ratio and overexpression of p53 and caspase-3 revealed that renal cell apoptosis might be induced via the mitochondrial pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the size of PS particles dictates the combined effects of PS and Cd in kidney tissues. Kidney damage caused by the combination of different sizes of PS particle and Cd is more complicated under actual environmental conditions.
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A mouse study found that combined exposure to cadmium (a toxic metal) and polystyrene nanoplastics caused more kidney damage than either pollutant alone. The combination triggered a harmful chain reaction involving oxidative stress, iron buildup, and excessive breakdown of cellular energy factories called mitochondria. This is significant because people are often exposed to both nanoplastics and heavy metals simultaneously, and their combined effects may be worse than expected.
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Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nano- and microplastics of varying sizes and tracked their accumulation and effects in the kidneys. They found that the particles changed their physical properties during digestion, accumulated in kidney tissue, and caused oxidative stress and immune responses. The study suggests that plastic particle size plays an important role in determining the extent of kidney-related harm.
Analysis of Biodistribution and in vivo Toxicity of Varying Sized Polystyrene Micro and Nanoplastics in Mice
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This study found that smaller plastic particles spread more widely through the bodies of mice and caused more organ damage than larger ones, particularly in the liver, kidneys, and heart. Nanoplastics (under 1 micrometer) were especially concerning because they crossed biological barriers more easily than microplastics. The results suggest that the tiniest plastic particles in our environment may pose the greatest health risks.
Acute oral dose toxicity study of micro- and nano-plastics of polystyrene in female Wistar albino rats
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Scientists fed rats different combinations of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles found in food and water) and found that a mix of both particle sizes caused more liver damage, kidney damage, and DNA damage than either type alone, even at the lowest dose tested. This matters because in the real world, we're likely exposed to a mix of plastic particle sizes, not just one, suggesting that current safety testing on single particle types may underestimate the actual risk to our health.
A new insight of size-dependent plastics particles kinetics with regarding of metabolomics effects in liver and kidney
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Researchers developed a comprehensive extraction and detection protocol to track polystyrene particles of three sizes (80 nm, 2 µm, and 20 µm) across multiple organs in exposed animals, finding that smaller particles accumulated more broadly — reaching the brain, liver, spleen, and kidney — while liver and kidney metabolism was disrupted in size-dependent but distinct ways.
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