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Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics During Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study (Preprint)
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The AURORA project protocol describes an interdisciplinary European study investigating micro- and nanoplastic exposures and their biological effects during pregnancy and early life, enrolling mother-child cohorts and combining biomonitoring with mechanistic research. The project aims to identify critical windows of developmental vulnerability to plastic pollution.
BACKGROUND Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants of concern with ubiquitous presence in global ecosystems. MNPs pose potential implications for human health; however, the health impacts of MNP exposures are not yet understood. Recent evidence suggests that MNPs can cross the placental barrier, underlying the urgent need to understand their impact on reproductive health and development. OBJECTIVE The Actionable eUropean ROadmap for early-life health Risk Assessment of micro- and nanoplastics (AURORA) project will investigate MNP exposures and their biological and health effects during pregnancy and early life, which are critical periods due to heightened vulnerability to environmental stressors. The AURORA project will enhance exposure assessment capabilities for measuring MNPs, MNP-associated chemicals, and plastic additives in human tissues, including placenta and blood. METHODS In this interdisciplinary project, we will advance methods for in-depth characterization and scalable chemical analytical strategies, enabling high-resolution and large-scale toxicological, exposure assessment, and epidemiological studies. The AURORA project performs observational studies to investigate determinants and health impacts of MNPs by including 800 mother-child pairs from 2 existing birth cohorts and 110 women of reproductive age from a newly established cohort. This will be complemented by toxicological studies using a tiered-testing approach and epidemiological investigations to evaluate associations between maternal and prenatal MNP exposures and health perturbations, such as placental function, immune-inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, accelerated aging, endocrine disruption, and child growth and development. The ultimate goal of the AURORA project is to create an MNP risk assessment framework and identify the remaining knowledge gaps and priorities needed to comprehensively assess the impact of MNPs on early-life health. RESULTS In the first 3 years of this 5-year project (2021-2026), progress was made toward all objectives. This includes completion of recruitment and data collection for new and existing cohorts, development of analytical methodological protocols, and initiation of the toxicological tiered assessments. As of September 2024, data analysis is ongoing and results are expected to be published starting in 2025. CONCLUSIONS As plastic pollution increases globally, it is imperative to understand the impact of MNPs on human health, particularly during vulnerable developmental stages such as early life. The contributions of the AURORA project will inform future risk assessment. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/63176
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Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics During Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study
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This research protocol outlines an interdisciplinary study designed to investigate how micro- and nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and early life may affect human health. The AURORA Project aims to assess both the extent of plastic particle exposure and potential hazards during these critical developmental windows. The study represents an important step toward understanding whether early-life plastic exposure poses risks to mothers and their children.
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