Papers

Polystyrene microplastics and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate co-exposure: Implications for female reproductive health

When rats were exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the common plasticizer DEHP together, they developed significantly more ovarian damage -- including increased cystic follicles, fibrosis, and hormone imbalance -- than from either substance alone. The combined exposure activated a specific signaling pathway (TGF-beta1/Smad3) linked to ovarian fibrosis and may increase the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome, raising concerns about real-world co-exposure in women.

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics with different functional groups: Implications for blood pressure and heart

In a rat study, exposure to polystyrene microplastics raised blood pressure by 22-40% and caused heart muscle enlargement and oxidative damage, with chemically modified microplastics causing even worse effects. The research identified a molecular pathway involving reduced blood vessel-relaxing signals that may explain how microplastic exposure contributes to cardiovascular disease.

Comparing the effects and mechanisms of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups on the male reproductive system

Scientists exposed male mice to polystyrene nanoparticles with different surface charges (unmodified, negatively charged, and positively charged) and found all three types damaged reproductive health by reducing sperm count, increasing sperm defects, and disrupting testicular tissue. The positively charged (amino-modified) nanoparticles were the most toxic, causing the greatest reproductive damage. This is important because as plastics age in the environment, they develop different surface charges that may make them more harmful to reproductive health than pristine plastic particles.

The effect and a mechanistic evaluation of polystyrene nanoplastics on a mouse model of type 2 diabetes

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics worsened type 2 diabetes symptoms in mice, including blood sugar control, insulin resistance, and organ damage in the liver and pancreas. Even nanoplastics alone, without a high-fat diet, caused significant increases in blood glucose and insulin resistance at higher doses. The study reveals a specific molecular pathway through which nanoplastics disrupt blood sugar regulation, raising concerns that chronic human exposure to nanoplastics could contribute to metabolic diseases like diabetes.

Mechanisms of exacerbation of Th2-mediated eosinophilic allergic asthma induced by plastic pollution derivatives (PPD): A molecular toxicological study involving lung cell ferroptosis and metabolomics

Researchers found that mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics combined with a common plastic additive (dibutyl phthalate) developed significantly worse allergic asthma symptoms, including increased airway inflammation driven by a specific type of immune response. The microplastics triggered a form of cell death called ferroptosis in lung cells, which amplified the allergic reaction. Treatment with an iron-binding drug provided relief, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches for people with asthma who are exposed to plastic pollution.

Comparing the effects of polystyrene microplastics exposure on reproduction and fertility in male and female mice

Researchers exposed both male and female mice to polystyrene microplastics for 30 to 44 days and found that the particles accumulated more in ovaries than testes, causing oxidative stress and reproductive damage in both sexes. Male mice had fewer viable sperm and more deformed sperm, while female mice had smaller ovaries with fewer eggs, and both sexes showed altered hormone levels and reduced fertility. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could contribute to declining fertility in both men and women.

Polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups and charges have different impacts on type 2 diabetes

A study found that polystyrene nanoplastics can induce symptoms similar to type 2 diabetes, and the severity depends on the surface charge of the particles. Positively charged (amino-modified) nanoplastics caused the most serious blood sugar regulation problems by interfering with insulin signaling, suggesting that as plastics age and their surface chemistry changes, their health risks may increase.

A critical review of microplastics in the soil-plant system: Distribution, uptake, phytotoxicity and prevention

This review brings together data from over 1,000 sampling sites worldwide to map microplastic contamination in soil and its effects on plants. Microplastics can delay seed germination, stunt plant growth, inhibit photosynthesis, and cause genetic damage to crops. The findings raise concerns about food safety because microplastics in agricultural soil could both reduce crop yields and introduce contaminants into the food chain.

Special Distribution of Nanoplastics in the Central Nervous System of Zebrafish during Early Development

Researchers injected fluorescent nanoplastics into zebrafish embryos and found the particles became trapped in the brain, eyes, and spinal cord during early development and stayed there rather than moving to other organs. Although the nanoplastics did not embed directly in nerve cells, they still disrupted brain signaling and reduced larval movement, suggesting early-life nanoplastic exposure could interfere with nervous system development.

Mechanisms underlying Th2-dominant pneumonia caused by plastic pollution derivatives (PPD): A molecular toxicology investigation that encompasses gut microbiomics and lung metabolomics

In a mouse study, exposure to dibutyl phthalate (a plastic additive) and polystyrene microplastics for five weeks caused pneumonia-like lung damage, increased oxidative stress, and triggered inflammation. The researchers found that these plastic pollution byproducts caused a specific type of immune response that leads to eosinophilic inflammation in the airways, connected through the gut-lung axis. The findings suggest that everyday exposure to plastic-derived chemicals and particles could contribute to respiratory disease.

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics causes reproductive toxicity through oxidative stress and activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway

Researchers exposed male mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and observed significant reproductive harm, including decreased sperm count, reduced motility, and increased deformity rates. The damage was linked to oxidative stress and activation of a specific cellular signaling pathway called p38 MAPK. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure may pose risks to male reproductive health in mammals through oxidative stress mechanisms.

Polystyrene microplastics affect learning and memory in mice by inducing oxidative stress and decreasing the level of acetylcholine

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics orally for four weeks and found that the particles impaired learning and memory functions. The microplastics caused oxidative stress in the brain and reduced levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter critical for memory. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion may pose neurotoxic risks by disrupting brain chemistry and damaging nerve cells.

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate aggravates allergic asthma through the TRPA1-p38 MAPK pathway

This mouse study found that polystyrene microplastics combined with DEHP, a common plastic additive, worsened allergic asthma symptoms more than either pollutant alone. The combination activated an inflammatory pathway called TRPA1-p38 MAPK in lung tissue, increasing airway inflammation and mucus production. The findings suggest that real-world exposure to microplastics carrying chemical additives could aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma.

Early clues and molecular mechanism involved in neurodegenerative diseases induced in immature mice by combined exposure to polypropylene microplastics and DEHP

Researchers exposed young mice to polypropylene microplastics combined with DEHP, a chemical commonly found in plastics, and observed significant brain damage including memory problems and damage to the hippocampus. The combined exposure was worse than either substance alone, showing additive or synergistic toxic effects on the developing brain. This is particularly concerning for young children, who are most commonly exposed to polypropylene products and may be more vulnerable to these neurotoxic effects.

Trehalose Acts as a Mediator: Imbalance in Brain Proteostasis Induced by Polystyrene Nanoplastics via Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis during Early Life

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused brain damage in young mice by disrupting gut bacteria, which in turn altered levels of a sugar called trehalose that is important for brain protein balance. Fecal transplant experiments confirmed that about 39% of the brain damage was driven indirectly through gut microbiome changes rather than nanoplastics reaching the brain directly. The study highlights the gut-brain connection as a key pathway through which nanoplastics may harm neurological development in early life.

Review on migration, transformation and ecological impacts of microplastics in soil

Government Trust, Environmental Pollution Perception, and Environmental Governance Satisfaction

Using survey data from over 3,800 respondents, researchers analyzed how government trust and perceptions of environmental pollution affect public satisfaction with environmental governance. The study found that higher government trust was associated with greater satisfaction, while stronger perception of pollution problems was linked to lower satisfaction with governance efforts.

Biomimetic single Al-OH site with high acetylcholinesterase-like activity and self-defense ability for neuroprotection

Researchers engineered a synthetic material that mimics the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which the nervous system needs to function, and showed it can break down organophosphate compounds — toxic chemicals found in pesticides and nerve agents — that normally disable this enzyme. The material, built from a metal-organic framework with aluminum Lewis acid sites, showed 2.7 times greater catalytic activity than previous artificial enzyme systems and demonstrated good biological safety.

Polystyrene nanoplastics enhance macrophyte litter decomposition via bacterial-fungal interactions in urban lake

[Toxicology of Nanoplastics to Aquatic and Terrestrial Organism: A Critical Review].

This review examines the toxicological effects of nanoplastics on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, noting that the vast surface area of nanoplastics enables them to carry environmental pollutants into organisms. Researchers describe how nanoplastics accumulate in organs and can transfer to offspring, potentially harming subsequent generations. The study highlights the need for further research on the health threats posed by nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Perinatal exposure to polystyrene microplastics induces multigenerational impairment of male reproduction via disrupted steroidogenesis and proteostasis

Scientists found that when pregnant and nursing rats were exposed to tiny plastic particles (microplastics), their male babies and grandbabies had damaged reproductive systems with lower sperm counts and reduced fertility hormones. While the grandbabies showed some ability to recover from this damage, the study suggests that microplastics in our environment could potentially harm male fertility across multiple generations. This research is concerning because humans are increasingly exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air.

Surface-charge-dependent ovarian toxicity of polystyrene microplastics: Insights into accumulation, mitochondrial damage, and macrophage polarization

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics with different surface charges accumulate in and damage rat ovaries after oral exposure. Positively charged amino-modified microplastics accumulated most in ovarian tissue and caused the most severe effects, including hormonal disruption, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial damage. The study suggests that surface charge is a key factor determining how microplastics affect reproductive organs.

Combined Exposure of Microplastics and Climate Warming Affects the Bacteria-Driven Macrophyte Litter Decomposition in an Urban Lake

Researchers conducted a 30-day microcosm experiment to study how climate warming and polystyrene microplastics interact to affect plant litter decomposition in lake ecosystems. The study found that combined warming and high microplastic concentrations promoted litter decomposition by increasing bacterial biomass and diversity, but also raised concerns by boosting potentially harmful bacteria on microplastic surfaces.

Early-life exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics at ambient doses induces neurotoxicity via mTOR-mediated autophagy-lysosomal dysfunction and proteostasis imbalance

Researchers exposed young mice to environmentally relevant doses of polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles penetrated their brains and caused behavioral and emotional disorders. The study identified a specific molecular mechanism in which nanoplastics disrupted the mTOR signaling pathway, leading to lysosomal dysfunction and a buildup of misfolded proteins that ultimately caused neurotoxicity. Treatments targeting these pathways were able to alleviate the harmful effects, suggesting potential avenues for intervention.