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Papers
231 resultsShowing papers from University of Naples Federico II
ClearFirst evidence of microplastics in human ovarian follicular fluid: An emerging threat to female fertility
For the first time, researchers detected microplastic particles in the fluid surrounding eggs in human ovaries. Tiny plastic particles were found in 14 out of 18 women undergoing fertility treatment, and higher microplastic levels correlated with elevated follicle-stimulating hormone, a key reproductive hormone. While no direct link to fertility outcomes was confirmed in this small study, the findings raise concerns about microplastic exposure and female reproductive health.
An Overview on Microplastics Hazards to the Marine Ecosystem and Humans’ Health
This overview examines how microplastics contaminate marine environments and threaten both ocean life and human health. Microplastics can be swallowed by marine organisms, pass through intestinal walls, spread to other organs, and carry toxic chemicals up the food chain to humans. The main ways people are exposed include eating contaminated seafood, breathing in airborne particles, and skin contact.
Raman Microspectroscopy evidence of microplastics in human semen
Researchers found microplastic fragments in six out of ten human semen samples from men in a polluted region of southern Italy, identifying common plastics like polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET. The study proposes that microplastics enter semen through the reproductive tract after being ingested or inhaled, raising concerns about potential effects on male fertility.
Skin, gut, and lung barrier: Physiological interface and target of intervention for preventing and treating allergic diseases
This review summarizes how the protective barriers of our skin, gut, and lungs can be damaged by environmental factors including microplastics, leading to allergic conditions like asthma, food allergies, and eczema. The authors explain that a person's genetics, microbiome, and environmental exposures all contribute to barrier breakdown, and they highlight current treatments as well as gaps in care for these increasingly common conditions.
Can biodegradable plastics mitigate plastamination? Feedbacks from marine organisms
Researchers tested whether biodegradable plastics (PLA) are safer for marine life than conventional plastics (polypropylene) and found that both types caused similar toxic effects in marine animals. Both plastics triggered stress responses and cell damage in brine shrimp at multiple life stages, with more advanced stages being more sensitive. This raises doubts about whether switching to biodegradable plastics will actually reduce the harm of microplastic pollution in oceans.
Polystyrene microplastics effects on zebrafish embryological development: Comparison of two different sizes
Zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene microplastics of two different sizes (1 and 3 micrometers) showed increased heart rates, physical deformities, and cell death at higher concentrations. The microplastics accumulated inside the larvae and triggered oxidative stress, which is an imbalance that damages cells. These findings add to growing evidence that microplastics can interfere with early development in ways that may be relevant to understanding risks during human pregnancy and infancy.
Subchronic oral exposure to polystyrene microplastics affects hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative balance in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)
Gilthead seabream fed polystyrene microplastics for 21 days developed signs of liver damage including fat buildup, inflammation, and oxidative stress -- changes similar to early-stage fatty liver disease. Since fish liver responds to microplastics in ways comparable to mammalian livers, these findings raise concerns about what chronic microplastic exposure might do to liver health in humans and other animals.
Microplastics, a Global Issue: Human Exposure through Environmental and Dietary Sources
This review tracks how microplastics move from the environment into the human body through food, water, and air. Microplastics can carry harmful hitchhikers like pesticides, heavy metals, and pathogenic bacteria, and they build up in concentration as they move up the food chain. While research interest is growing rapidly, the full extent of health effects from long-term microplastic exposure in humans remains unclear.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Environment: Occupational and Exposure Events, Effects on Human Health and Fertility
This review covers the environmental persistence and health effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), industrial chemicals that were banned decades ago but still contaminate the environment. PCBs enter the human body mainly through contaminated food and can cause cancer, reproductive problems, and immune system damage. The review is relevant to microplastics research because microplastics can absorb and transport PCBs in the environment, potentially increasing human exposure to these persistent toxic chemicals.
Toxicological effects and potential reproductive risk of microplastic-induced molecular changes in protamine-like proteins and their DNA binding
When mussels were exposed to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations found in the Mediterranean Sea, changes occurred in their sperm proteins that affect how DNA is packaged and protected. These molecular changes in reproductive cells raise concerns about the potential for microplastic pollution to affect fertility and reproductive success in marine organisms, with possible implications for understanding similar risks in other species.
Bisphenol A and its analogues: from their occurrence in foodstuffs marketed in Europe to improved monitoring strategies—a review of published literature from 2018 to 2023
This review tracks the levels of bisphenol A (BPA) and similar hormone-disrupting chemicals in food and beverages across Europe from 2018 to 2024. While BPA remains the most commonly detected compound, its substitutes (like BPS and BPF) are increasingly found in food packaging and canned goods. These chemicals mimic estrogen in the body and have been linked to reproductive, metabolic, and developmental health concerns.
The Impact of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms: Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Implications for Human Health—A Review
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, a harmful chemical imbalance, in aquatic organisms from plankton to fish. These tiny plastics accumulate in the food chain and may reach humans through seafood consumption. While the evidence of harm in aquatic species is growing, more research is needed to fully understand the implications for human health.
Microplastics, microfibers and associated microbiota biofilm analysis in seawater, a case study from the Vesuvian Coast, southern Italy
Researchers analyzed microplastics and microfibers in seawater along the Vesuvian Coast in Italy and characterized the microorganisms growing on their surfaces, known as the plastisphere. They identified potentially harmful bacteria colonizing the plastic particles, including species that could threaten both marine ecosystems and human health. The study highlights that microplastics in the ocean are not just a pollution problem but also serve as vehicles for spreading disease-causing microorganisms.
Urinary Metabolomics of Plastic Manufacturing Workers: A Pilot Study
In this pilot study, researchers used a metabolomics approach to analyze urine samples from plastic manufacturing workers and found distinct metabolic changes compared to non-exposed individuals. The workers showed altered metabolic profiles that may reflect the body's response to chronic exposure to plastic particles and chemicals in the workplace. While preliminary, the findings suggest that occupational microplastic exposure leaves measurable biological signatures that could serve as early warning markers for health effects.
Sustainability trends and gaps in the textile, apparel and fashion industries
Researchers conducted a 20-year systematic review of sustainability in the fashion and textile industry, identifying consumer behavior, circular economy practices, and supply chain transparency as the three main research themes. The review highlights that synthetic textile fibers — a major source of microplastic pollution — are embedded in a complex industry that still lacks coherent sustainability standards across its global supply chains.
The endocrine disrupting effects of nanoplastic exposure: A systematic review
This systematic review summarizes research on how nanoplastics, the smallest plastic particles, can disrupt the hormonal system. The evidence from lab studies suggests nanoplastics may interfere with thyroid function, reproductive hormones, and stress responses. These findings raise concerns because endocrine disruption can lead to fertility problems, metabolic issues, and developmental effects in humans.
Rheology of Recycled PET
This review examines how recycling changes the physical properties of PET plastic, the material used in most beverage bottles. Each recycling cycle degrades the polymer chains, weakening the material's mechanical and flow properties. Understanding PET degradation through recycling is relevant because improperly recycled plastic contributes to microplastic generation in the environment.
The Pressing Issue of Micro- and Nanoplastic Contamination: Profiling the Reproductive Alterations Mediated by Oxidative Stress
This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics affect reproductive health across aquatic and land-based organisms, focusing on oxidative stress as the primary damage mechanism. Researchers found that these plastic particles can reach the gonads through the bloodstream and even accumulate in human and mouse placenta, with harmful effects on sperm and egg development, embryo growth, and offspring survival. The severity of reproductive harm appears to increase with smaller particle sizes and longer exposure times.
From food-to-human microplastics and nanoplastics exposure and health effects: A review on food, animal and human monitoring data
This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics and nanoplastics move from food into animal and human tissues, and what health effects they may cause. Studies show these particles have been found accumulating in organs including the liver, lungs, placenta, and blood, with their size and chemical properties determining where they end up in the body. The authors stress the need for standardized testing methods and human biomonitoring to better understand the real health burden of microplastics in our food supply.
Advancing river monitoring using image-based techniques: challenges and opportunities
This review examines advances in using cameras, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence to monitor rivers, covering applications from flood tracking to water quality assessment. While not focused on microplastics directly, these image-based monitoring tools could be adapted to detect and track visible plastic pollution in waterways. Improved river monitoring technology is an important step toward understanding and reducing the sources of microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.
Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758): Differential inflammatory and immune response between anterior and posterior intestine
Researchers fed gilthead seabream polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found they triggered inflammation and immune disruption in both sections of the intestine, with the rear portion more severely affected. The microplastics activated inflammatory signaling pathways and weakened the gut barrier by reducing tight junction proteins. The findings suggest microplastic ingestion could compromise gut health and immune function in fish.
A new green protocol for the identification of microplastics and microfibers in marine sediments, a case study from the Vesuvian Coast, Southern Italy
Researchers developed a new, simpler method for detecting microplastics in marine sediment that uses less material and avoids harsh chemical processing. They tested it on coastal sediments near Mount Vesuvius in Italy and successfully identified various microplastics and microfibers. Better detection methods like this are important for accurately measuring how much microplastic contamination exists in the environment and tracking its sources.
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Human Health: Effects on Metabolism, Diabetes and Cancer
This review by a panel of Italian medical experts examines how polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardant chemicals commonly found in plastics and electronics, affect human metabolism and may contribute to diabetes and cancer. PBDEs persist in the environment and accumulate in human tissues, where they disrupt hormone signaling and activate pathways linked to metabolic disease and tumor growth. These chemicals are relevant to microplastic concerns because they leach from plastic products and can be carried into the body on microplastic surfaces.
Effects of biodegradable-based microplastics in Paracentrotus lividus Lmk embryos: Morphological and gene expression analysis
Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PBAT) on sea urchin embryo development and found they caused developmental abnormalities and altered gene expression. Even though these plastics are marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, their breakdown particles still harmed marine organisms during sensitive early life stages. This suggests that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safe for the environment and may still contribute to microplastic toxicity in the food chain.