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Female exposure to microplastics in the atmospheric environment: Endocrine disrupting toxicity and its risk regulation strategies
Summary
Researchers quantified the female endocrine-disrupting potential of six common types of atmospheric microplastics and their chemical additives. They found that polyamide and PET microplastics, along with bisphenol-based antioxidant additives, were the primary contributors to endocrine disruption risk. The study also identified a modified substitute compound with 37% lower risk and analyzed the molecular mechanisms by which microplastics interact with cell membranes to cause hormonal disruption.
Microplastics (MPs) are present in the atmosphere and may lead to female endocrine-disrupting toxicity (F-EDT) after entering human bodies through inhalation. However, research on the F-EDT of human exposure to MPs remains infancy. Therefore, the F-EDT of six common atmospheric MPs was quantified, and a priority control list for MPs and their additives was compiled using statistical and computational chemistry techniques. Results showed that PA-MPs/PET-MPs and bisphenol-based antioxidants contribute to F-EDT, with a risk probability difference of up to 59.81 % between the lowest and highest risk components. Thus, Bisphenol A and Bisphenol E were selected for molecular modification, and an environmentally friendly substitute (D35) was screened, with a reduced risk of 37.57 %. Finally, the F-EDT mitigation mechanisms of MPs were also analyzed, indicating the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups in MPs may be a primary reason for the variations in F-EDT. Hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions are the dominant modes of cell membrane adsorption for MPs or additives, with the competitive adsorption of lubricants on bisphenol-based antioxidants being one of the main reasons for mitigating F-EDT induced by MPs. This study aims to tackle the challenges of understanding the patterns and underlying mechanisms for the F-EDT of MPs and additives.