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Polylactic Acid Microplastics Do Not Exhibit Lower Biological Toxicity in Growing Mice Compared to Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics
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Researchers compared the health effects of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics to conventional polyvinyl chloride microplastics in growing mice over six weeks. Contrary to expectations, the biodegradable microplastics caused equal or more severe harm, including greater disruption of gut bacteria, stronger inflammatory responses, and more intestinal damage. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be safer than conventional plastics once they break down into microplastic-sized particles.
Biomicroplastics (BMPs) will be produced during bioplastic degradation (i.e., polylactic acid), although bioplastics have been widely used for food packaging. Like conventional microplastics (MPs), BMPs would be mistakenly ingested into the body through diet or drinking water, but their health risks in vivo are poorly understood. Here, we deeply compared the toxicity difference between irregularly shaped polylactic acid (PLA-MPs, 16-350 μm) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC-MPs, 40-300 μm) MPs in growing mice. After six weeks of exposure, PLA-MP exposure resulted in more severe inhibition of the mice's weight gain than PVC-MPs did. Both PLA- and PVC-MPs significantly elevated the levels of oxidative stress. Moreover, significant changes including altered transcriptional profiles and significantly differentially expressed genes in liver and colon transcription levels were observed in the PVC- and PLA-MP groups. Compared with PVC-MPs, PLA-MPs have a stronger effect on lipid metabolism and digestive systems. PLA-MPs also caused gut microbiota dysbiosis, significantly interfering with the relative abundance of microbiota and altering microbial diversity. These findings indicated the toxicities of PLA-MPs in growing mice were not significantly reduced compared to PVC-MPs, which would also provide new insights for re-examining bioplastic safety.
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Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics from food containers affect mice over four weeks. They found that both types disrupted lipid metabolism and increased harmful gut bacteria, but the biodegradable PLA microplastics actually caused more severe metabolic disruption than conventional polyethylene. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be safer than traditional plastics when it comes to microplastic exposure from food packaging.
Necroecological Trophic Transfer of Microplastics: Insights into the Ecotoxicity of Petroleum-Derived and Biodegradable Polymers
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This study found that biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics can be just as toxic as petroleum-based polystyrene microplastics when transferred through a food chain from decomposing mice to fly larvae. The biodegradable plastics actually accumulated more in the larvae and triggered signs of nerve damage and oxidative stress. These findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer, suggesting they may pose similar health risks as conventional plastics when they enter food webs.
Chronic toxicity of biodegradable microplastic (Polylactic acid) to Daphnia magna: A comparison with polyethylene terephthalate
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Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA microplastics with conventional PET microplastics on water fleas and found that PLA was actually more harmful. At higher concentrations, PLA microplastics killed nearly half the organisms, reduced reproduction, and increased birth defects more than PET particles did. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose similar or even greater ecological risks than conventional plastics.
The comparison effect on earthworms between conventional and biodegradable microplastics
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Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworms over an extended exposure period. They found that biodegradable microplastics caused comparable or even greater harm than conventional plastics at certain concentrations, including reduced growth and reproduction. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for soil organisms.
A comparison between the effects of polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna
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This study compared the effects of polylactic acid (a biodegradable plastic) versus polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna water fleas, finding differences in toxicity that are important for understanding whether "biodegradable" plastics pose lower ecological risks than conventional plastics.
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