Papers

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Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces sex-specific kidney injury in offspring

Researchers found that when pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (nano-sized plastic particles), their male offspring suffered more severe kidney damage than females — including reduced kidney cell numbers, increased scarring, and altered immune responses. The sex-specific nature of these effects suggests that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy may carry different long-term health risks depending on the sex of the child.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces sex-specific cardiotoxicity in offspring mice

When pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring developed heart damage that differed between males and females. Female offspring lost more body and heart weight, while males showed signs of atherosclerosis and females showed viral heart inflammation markers. This study suggests that prenatal nanoplastic exposure could program sex-specific cardiovascular problems in children, raising concerns about plastic exposure during pregnancy.

2024 Heliyon 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastic gestational exposure on mice

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to airborne polystyrene nanoplastics and studied the effects on both mothers and offspring. High-dose exposure caused fatty liver disease in the mothers and in adult female offspring, but not in male offspring, with each group showing different underlying molecular mechanisms. The study suggests that prenatal exposure to airborne nanoplastics may have sex-specific effects on metabolic health that persist into adulthood.

2023 Chemosphere 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanopolystyrene translocation and fetal deposition after acute lung exposure during late-stage pregnancy

Researchers found that nanoscale polystyrene particles inhaled by pregnant mice were able to cross into the placenta and deposit in fetal tissues. The findings raise concerns about potential developmental risks from airborne nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy.

2020 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sex differences in cardiac fibrosis induced by gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and examined the hearts of their adult offspring, finding dose-dependent cardiac fibrosis and cell death that differed between males and females. Male offspring showed greater changes in estrogen receptor gene expression compared to females, which may explain the observed sex differences in heart damage. The study suggests that prenatal nanoplastic exposure could have lasting effects on heart health, with males potentially more vulnerable.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanopolystyrene translocation and fetal deposition after acute lung exposure during late-stage pregnancy

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to nanoscale polystyrene particles through inhalation and tracked where the particles traveled. They found that the nanoplastics crossed from the lungs into the bloodstream and accumulated in both placental and fetal tissues, confirming that inhaled plastic nanoparticles can reach developing offspring during pregnancy.

2020 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 428 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny

When pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring showed abnormal brain development including changes in neural stem cell function, altered brain structure, and cognitive problems. The effects were gender-specific, with some deficits appearing more strongly in one sex. This study raises concerns that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy could increase the risk of neurodevelopmental problems in children.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 271 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal polystyrene nanoplastics exposure during pregnancy induces obesity development in adult offspring through disrupting lipid homeostasis

Researchers found that maternal inhalation exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during pregnancy induced obesity development in adult offspring of mice, suggesting in utero exposure to airborne nanoplastics programs metabolic dysfunction. The study linked prenatal nanoplastic exposure to increased adiposity and metabolic changes persisting into adulthood.

2024
Article Tier 2

Nanopolystyrene Translocation and Fetal Deposition After Acute Lung Exposure During Late-Stage Pregnancy

Nanopolystyrene particles inhaled by pregnant mice during late pregnancy crossed into the bloodstream and deposited in fetal tissues. This finding raises concern that airborne nanoplastics could pose a risk to fetal development, especially given growing human exposure to plastic particles in indoor and outdoor air.

2020 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ferroptosis Is Involved in Sex-Specific Small Intestinal Toxicity in the Offspring of Adult Mice Exposed to Polystyrene Nanoplastics during Pregnancy

When pregnant mice were exposed to 80-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics through inhalation, their offspring developed intestinal damage involving oxidative stress and a type of cell death called ferroptosis. Female offspring were more severely affected than males, showing sex-specific vulnerability to prenatal nanoplastic exposure. This study raises concerns that breathing in nanoplastics during pregnancy could harm the developing gut of unborn children, with potentially different effects on boys and girls.

2023 ACS Nano 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impacts developmental milestones and brain structure in mouse offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and studied the effects on their offspring's brain development. The study found that maternal nanoplastic exposure affected developmental milestones and brain structure in the young mice. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy may pose risks to fetal brain development, though more research is needed to understand the implications for humans.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanopolystyrene translocation and fetal deposition after acute lung exposure during late-stage pregnancy

This animal study found that nanopolystyrene particles inhaled by pregnant mice during late pregnancy were transferred across the placenta and deposited in fetal tissues. The findings provide experimental evidence that airborne nanoplastics can reach unborn fetuses, raising serious concerns about developmental exposure from breathing indoor or outdoor air containing plastic particles.

2020 Research Square (Research Square) 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Single pulmonary nanopolystyrene exposure in late-stage pregnancy dysregulates maternal and fetal cardiovascular function

A single lung exposure to nanoplastics in pregnant rats during late pregnancy reduced fetal and placental weight and caused cardiovascular problems in both the mother and the developing fetus. The nanoplastics disrupted blood flow through the uterine arteries and impaired fetal heart function. This study is concerning because it shows that even a brief inhalation of nanoplastics during pregnancy can have immediate effects on fetal development.

2024 Toxicological Sciences 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Gestational exposure to micro and nanoplastics differentially impacts cardiac development and function in male and female rats throughout the lifespan

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to airborne micro- and nanoplastics and tracked heart development and function in their offspring from before birth through three months of age. They found that the exposure caused sex-specific cardiac changes, including altered heart wall thickness and chamber dimensions that persisted into adulthood. The study suggests that prenatal microplastic exposure may program lasting cardiovascular differences, with male and female offspring affected in distinct ways.

2025 Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics leads to ovotoxicity in female mouse offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoplastics throughout mating, pregnancy, and nursing, then examined the ovaries of their female offspring. They found that maternal nanoplastic exposure significantly reduced ovarian weight and follicle numbers in the offspring and lowered the expression of key antioxidant genes. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy may pose risks to the reproductive development of female offspring.

2025 Reproductive Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics, emerging pollutants, increased the risk of pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and in vitro: A comparative evaluation of their potential toxicity effects with different polymers and size

Researchers compared the lung toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics made from polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene in mice and human lung cells. They found that all particle types induced signs of pulmonary fibrosis, inflammation, and tissue remodeling, with polystyrene nanoplastics causing the most severe effects. The study suggests that smaller nanoplastic particles and certain polymer types may pose greater risks to lung health.

2025 Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Pulmonary Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics: A Hierarchical Oxidative Stress Mechanism Driving Acute–Subacute Lung Injury

Researchers investigated the pulmonary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics smaller than 100 nm in lung epithelial cells and macrophages, finding that exposure triggered a hierarchical oxidative stress mechanism that drove acute to subacute lung injury through lipid peroxidation and inflammation.

2025 Research
Article Tier 2

Teratological, neurochemical and histomorphic changes in the limbic areas of F1 mice progeny due to co-parental polystyrene nanoplastic exposure

Researchers exposed parent mice to polystyrene nanoplastics before and during pregnancy and found that offspring exhibited skeletal and visceral malformations, impaired neonatal reflexes, learning deficits, and structural brain changes — including reduced hippocampal neurons — demonstrating transgenerational neurodevelopmental harm from nanoplastic exposure.

2024 Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sex-specific gene expression alterations in response to ingested PVC microplastics in Wistar rats

Researchers examined sex-specific differences in gene expression changes in mice exposed to PVC microplastics via ingestion, finding that male and female animals responded differently at the molecular level. The sex-specific patterns suggest that biological sex may be an important variable in microplastic health risk assessments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent PulmonaryToxicity and Whole-Body Distributionof Inhaled Micro/Nanoplastic Particles in Male Mice from Chronic Exposure

Researchers used a whole-body inhalation exposure system to chronically expose male mice to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics at environmental concentrations and tracked particle distribution and lung toxicity. Nanoplastics (80 nm) showed greater tissue transport than microplastics (1 µm), with highest accumulation in lungs followed by blood and spleen, and both sizes disrupted oxidative balance and antioxidant defenses.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics impairs sperm metabolism and pre-implantation embryo development in mice

This study found that male mice given polystyrene nanoplastics by mouth showed significant harm to sperm function and early embryo development, with changes in gene expression that could affect offspring. The findings raise concerns that nanoplastic exposure could impair male fertility and potentially pass harmful effects to the next generation.

2025 Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation of changes in global genes expression in the lung of ICR mice in response to the inflammation and fibrosis induced by polystyrene nanoplastics inhalation

Researchers exposed mice to inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics for two weeks and used microarray analysis to identify 115 differentially expressed lung genes, with inflammation and fibrosis pathways significantly upregulated — findings that propose specific gene biomarkers for monitoring nanoplastic-induced pulmonary damage.

2023 Toxicological Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Repeated inhalation exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induced sustained pulmonary injury and fibrosis in mice.

Scientists exposed mice to tiny plastic particles found in air pollution and discovered these particles caused serious lung damage and scarring that didn't heal even weeks after exposure stopped. The smallest plastic particles were the most harmful, spreading from the lungs to other organs like the heart and liver. This research suggests that breathing in nanoplastics from everyday sources like car tire wear and plastic waste could pose long-term risks to human lung health.

2026 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny

Researchers found that maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused brain abnormalities in offspring, demonstrating that nanoplastics can cross maternal barriers and affect neurological development in progeny with implications for developmental toxicology.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations