Comparative Semi-quantitative Assessment of the Accumulation of 100 Nm and 1000 Nm Polystyrene Microparticles in Rat Lung Tissue Following a Single Exposure

Cellular Uptake and Nuclear Accumulation of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in 3T3 Fibroblasts and Hepatocytes of Rattus norvegicus

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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can get inside liver and connective tissue cells from rats, and even sneak into the cell's nucleus, where DNA is stored. Cells exposed to these plastics showed signs of stress and damage, including swelling and higher rates of cell death, suggesting these ultra-small plastic particles may be more harmful than previously thought. While this study used animal cells rather than human cells, it raises important questions about what everyday exposure to nanoplastics (found in food packaging, water, and other sources) might mean for our own cellular health.

Toxicological effects of different particle sizes and types of nano-plastics (NPs) on human lung cells: implications for the health risk of airborne microplastic pollution

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Researchers exposed human A549 alveolar cells to polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate nanoplastics of 30 and 50 nm and found that smaller size and higher concentration produced stronger cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis—with PS nanoparticles more toxic than PMMA—providing in vitro evidence of respiratory health risks from inhaled airborne nanoplastics.

Comparison of lung disorders following intratracheal instillation of polystyrene microplastics with different surface functional groups

Effects of single orally administrated different sized microplastic particles – acute toxicity study in adult male rats

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Researchers gave rats a single oral dose of 40 µm or 70 µm PET microplastics and found no acute behavioral or sensory-motor impairment, but observed increased relative brain weight only in animals exposed to the smaller particles, suggesting that sub-100-µm fragments may cross the blood-brain barrier and trigger localized inflammatory responses even after one dose.

Polystyrene microplastics: environmental presence, pathways, and biological impact

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Researchers reviewed the environmental presence, transport pathways, and biological impacts of polystyrene microplastics, documenting how widespread food packaging use leads to pervasive contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and raises concerns for organismal and human health.