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Environmental Xenobiotics and Epigenetic Modifications: Implications for Human Health and Disease
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This review examines how environmental pollutants, including microplastics, can change gene activity through epigenetic modifications without altering DNA itself. These changes to how genes are turned on and off can contribute to cancer, brain diseases, and developmental problems, and may even be passed down to future generations. The research highlights that microplastics and other common pollutants could have long-lasting health effects that go beyond direct chemical toxicity.
Environmental xenobiotics, including heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pesticides, air pollutants, nano- and microplastics, mycotoxins, and phycotoxins, are widespread compounds that pose significant risks to human health. These substances, originating from industrial and agricultural activities, vehicle emissions, and household products, disrupt cellular homeostasis and contribute to a range of diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Emerging evidence indicates that epigenetic alterations, such as abnormal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, aberrant histone modifications, and altered expression of non-coding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs), may play a central role in mediating the toxic effects of environmental xenobiotics. Furthermore, exposure to these compounds during critical periods, such as embryogenesis and early postnatal stages, can induce long-lasting epigenetic alterations that increase susceptibility to diseases later in life. Moreover, modifications to the gamete epigenome can potentially lead to effects that persist across generations (transgenerational effects). Although these modifications represent significant health risks, many epigenetic alterations may be reversible through the removal of the xenobiotic trigger, offering potential for therapeutic intervention. This review explores the relationship between environmental xenobiotics and alterations in epigenetic signatures, focusing on how these changes impact human health, including their potential for transgenerational inheritance and their potential reversibility.
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Beyond genetics: can micro and nanoplastics induce epigenetic and gene-expression modifications?
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This review gathers existing research on whether micro and nanoplastics can cause epigenetic changes, which are modifications that alter how genes work without changing the DNA itself. Although studies are still limited, the evidence so far shows that both short-term and long-term plastic particle exposure can trigger these gene-level changes in various organisms. This is concerning because epigenetic changes can potentially be passed to future generations and may contribute to disease.
Immune–Epigenetic Effects of Environmental Pollutants: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Transgenerational Impact
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This review examines how environmental pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can alter immune function through epigenetic changes that modify gene expression without changing DNA itself. Researchers identified common molecular pathways through which these pollutants trigger inflammation and immune disruption. The study also highlights evidence that some of these epigenetic changes may be passed to future generations.
Epigenetics of Microplastics
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This student-authored paper reviews how microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) can alter gene expression and enzyme activity in animals, with particular concern for effects on the liver, brain, and male reproductive system. MNPs act as carriers for toxic chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals, which can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and potentially cancer when ingested by humans. The paper highlights that human exposure is already occurring through contaminated soil, water, and food, making understanding these epigenetic risks an urgent public health priority.
Nanoplastics as Epigenetic Disruptors: A Biochemical Review of Environmental Pollutants and Gene Regulation
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This biochemical review examined how nanoplastics disrupt epigenetic regulation, focusing on their ability to alter DNA methylation patterns, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression. The authors argued that nanoplastic-induced epigenetic changes could have lasting developmental and health consequences, especially during vulnerable life stages.
Micro- and nanoplastics: Emerging environmental threats to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastic exposure may contribute to chronic health conditions through the lens of developmental origins of health and disease. Evidence suggests that microplastics accumulate in human metabolic and reproductive tissues and may induce physiological and epigenetic changes that could potentially be inherited by future generations, though research into these mechanisms is still in early stages.
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