Abstracts

Plastic production has increased exponentially since the 1950s. Plastic waste represents a threat to planetary health. Plastic pollution and household products degrade into microplastics (<5 mm, including nano-sized particles), and these microplastics contaminate our environment, homes, and food chain. Disconcertingly, there is scarce data on the uptake of microplastics in the human body and their potential consequences for health.In this interdisciplinary European project (AURORA), we focus on assessing exposure to microplastics during pregnancy and early development, periods of increased sensitivity to environmental stressors. We are advancing analytical methods to quantify mass-based levels and characterize physical-chemical properties (e.g., size, shape, polymer and chemical composition) of microplastics using complementary high-throughput mass spectrometry and low-throughput micro-spectroscopic techniques. We are assessing determinants of microplastic exposure, including household and food preparation factors, in a new cohort. Epidemiological investigations based on European birth cohorts and toxicological assays will provide data on potential perturbations to placental function, immune-inflammatory and endocrine pathways and child development.We present a workflow for assessing exposure and reproductive and developmental hazards of micro- and nanoplastics and highlight knowledge gaps. Preliminary results from analytical chemistry and toxicological assays indicate that micro- and nanoplastics are present in placenta, are internalized in placental cells, have the potential to cross the placenta, and have complex characteristics and chemical profiles.These advances in exposure assessment and characterization of health risks will support human health risk assessment of micro- and nanoplastics and inform future environmental and public health policies.