We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Toxicity and Biodistribution of Fragmented Polypropylene Microplastics in ICR Mice
Summary
Researchers fed mice two different sizes of polypropylene microplastics and found no significant toxic effects in standard toxicological assessments, including body weight, organ weight, and tissue examination. They established that the no-observed-adverse-effect level was at or above 2,000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Using fluorescently labeled particles, the team tracked the distribution of microplastics in real time, finding that the particles spread to multiple organs including the brain.
Currently, polypropylene (PP) is used in various products, thus leading to high daily exposure in humans. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the toxicological effects, biodistribution, and accumulation of PP microplastics in the human body. In this study, administration of two particle sizes of PP microplastics (approximately 5 and 10-50 µm) did not lead to any significant changes in several toxicological evaluation parameters, including body weight and pathological examination, compared with the control group in ICR mice. Therefore, the approximate lethal dose and no-observed-adverse-effect level of PP microplastics in ICR mice were established as ≥2000 mg/kg. Furthermore, we manufactured cyanine 5.5 carboxylic acid (Cy5.5-COOH)-labeled fragmented PP microplastics to monitor real-time in vivo biodistribution. After oral administration of the Cy5.5-COOH-labeled microplastics to the mice, most of the PP microplastics were detected in the gastrointestinal tract and observed to be out of the body after 24 h in IVIS Spectrum CT. Therefore, this study provides a new insight into the short-term toxicity, distribution, and accumulation of PP microplastics in mammals.