Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of polyvinyl chloride microplastics with cadmium promotes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in female ducks through oxidative stress and glycolipid accumulation

Researchers found that female ducks exposed to both PVC microplastics and cadmium together developed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, with the combination being worse than either pollutant alone. The co-exposure caused oxidative stress and abnormal fat and sugar buildup in the liver. This study is relevant to human health because people are also exposed to microplastics and heavy metals simultaneously, and the combined effects may be more damaging than exposure to either one individually.

2024 Poultry Science 19 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics on the Growth Rate, Liver Enzyme, and Serum Metabolites of Cirrhinus mrigala

Scientists found that plastic particles in water seriously harm fish by damaging their liver and slowing their growth. Since we eat fish and plastic pollution affects the entire food chain, this research suggests that microplastics could eventually impact human health too. The more plastic particles in the water, the sicker the fish became, which is concerning because plastic pollution in our waterways keeps getting worse.

2026 Pakistan Journal of Zoological Sciences
Article Tier 2

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals hepatic lipid metabolism disruption in Japanese quail under polystyrene microplastics exposure

Researchers fed Japanese quail polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations for 35 days and analyzed liver effects using transcriptomics and metabolomics. Low doses caused increased food intake and weight gain with liver lipid accumulation, while high doses led to decreased intake and weight loss, suggesting a hormetic dose-response pattern. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupted hepatic lipid metabolism pathways and caused liver oxidative stress in birds.

2025 Emerging contaminants 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral exposure to polyethylene microplastics induces inflammatory and metabolic changes and promotes fibrosis in mouse liver.

Mice fed polyethylene microplastics in their food for 6 to 9 weeks developed liver inflammation, metabolic disruption, oxidative stress, and increased cell growth in the liver. The microplastics also worsened liver scarring (fibrosis) when tested in mice with pre-existing liver damage. This is the first study to show that ingesting polyethylene, the most common type of plastic, can directly damage the mammalian liver and could worsen existing liver conditions.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Kidney and Liver Disorders Due to Microplastic Exposure: Chronic in Vivo Study in Male White Rats

Male white rats were chronically exposed to microplastics (particles 5 mm or smaller) to assess kidney and liver toxicity, with exposure resulting from environmental weathering and ultraviolet irradiation of plastic materials. The study found measurable histopathological and biochemical damage in both organs, confirming that long-term microplastic exposure causes organ-level injury in mammals.

2024 Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat
Article Tier 2

Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress

Researchers fed fish polyethylene plastic fragments collected from the ocean — which had absorbed surrounding pollutants — and found the fish bioaccumulated toxic chemicals and developed liver damage. The study demonstrates that ingested marine plastic acts as a delivery vehicle for harmful contaminants, compounding the health risks of plastic pollution in seafood.

2013 Scientific Reports 1860 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics detected in cirrhotic liver tissue

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers detected microplastics in liver tissue from patients with cirrhosis (severe liver scarring) in Germany. Microplastic concentrations were higher in cirrhotic livers compared to healthy control tissue, suggesting that a damaged liver may accumulate more plastic particles. This is one of the first studies to find microplastics in human liver tissue, raising questions about whether they could worsen liver disease.

2022 EBioMedicine 608 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Chronic Microplastic Exposure Dose‐Dependently Induces Liver Failure via Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Rats

This animal study found that chronic exposure to polyethylene microplastics caused dose-dependent liver damage in rats over just four weeks. Higher doses led to increased markers of liver injury, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death, suggesting that ongoing microplastic ingestion could harm liver health over time.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of Polyvinylchloride Powder Particles Induces Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Histopathological Changes in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile Tilapia)—A Preliminary Study

Researchers found that oral exposure to PVC microplastic powder induced oxidative stress and liver histopathological changes in Nile tilapia, with altered water quality parameters and tissue damage indicating significant toxicological effects from ingested plastic particles.

2023 Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Silent Killers: The Alarming Impact of Microplastics Polystyrene on Catfish Liver Health

Researchers exposed catfish to polystyrene microplastics and documented severe liver damage including necrosis, steatosis, and oxidative stress, finding that even short-term exposure caused histopathological changes comparable to those seen with classic liver toxins.

2025 JURNAL KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN
Article Tier 2

Emerging threat of environmental microplastics: A comprehensive analysis of hepatic metabolic dysregulation and hepatocellular damage (Review)

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics damage the liver, which is a key organ for filtering toxins from the body. Studies show that microplastics can cause liver tissue damage, trigger cell death, and disrupt fat metabolism, with smaller particles and longer exposure causing worse effects. The findings highlight the liver as a particularly vulnerable organ because it accumulates microplastics that enter the body through food and water.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Medicine 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Impacts of Polyethylene Microplastics on Rat Liver

Wistar rats exposed to polyethylene microplastics at 0.1–5 mg/kg for 4 weeks showed dose-dependent PE accumulation in liver tissue confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, with histopathological signs of liver injury despite no significant change in body weight.

2024
Article Tier 2

Hepatotoxic Mechanisms of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Animal Models: A Scoping Review with Human Health Implications

This scoping review examines hepatotoxic mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastics in animal models, identifying oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and epigenetic alterations as the primary pathways through which plastic particles damage liver tissue.

2025 OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Article Tier 2

Worker studies suggest unique liver carcinogenicity potential of polyvinyl chloride microplastics

This study reviews evidence from workers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing plants and finds that PVC microplastic exposure is uniquely linked to liver cancer risk. The evidence of liver damage from occupational exposure to other types of microplastics is limited, suggesting PVC may be especially harmful. These worker studies provide important real-world data on how chronic microplastic exposure at high levels could affect human liver health.

2023 American Journal of Industrial Medicine 37 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Potential toxicity of microplastics on vertebrate liver: A systematic review and meta–analysis

This meta-analysis of 118 studies found that microplastics damage vertebrate livers by inducing oxidative stress and intracellular toxicity, altering biotransformation processes, and disrupting lipid metabolism. Organisms at earlier life stages, exposed to smaller particles, and for longer durations showed the greatest liver damage, with catalase, GST, reactive oxygen species, and alkaline phosphatase levels progressively increasing with microplastic concentration.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Dose‐Dependent Toxicological Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polystyrene Microplastics on Wistar Albino Rats

Researchers fed rats PVC and polystyrene microplastics at different doses for eight weeks and observed significant changes including weight loss, elevated blood glucose, increased cholesterol and liver enzymes, and signs of oxidative stress. The study suggests that oral microplastic exposure at these levels can cause dose-dependent toxicological effects across multiple organ systems in mammals.

2026 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Are Ingested or Inhaled Microplastics Involved in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

This review explored the potential connection between microplastic exposure through ingestion and inhalation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which has become a leading cause of chronic liver injury. The study discusses how dietary and environmental microplastic exposure could potentially influence liver health through mechanisms including inflammation and endocrine disruption, though further research is needed to establish definitive links.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl Chloride Exposure Induces Liver Injury: A Biochemical and Histological Evaluation

This rat study evaluated liver toxicity from 42 days of daily oral polyvinyl chloride administration at doses of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/kg. Liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP) were elevated disproportionately, oxidative stress markers were disrupted, and histological changes were observed, suggesting dose-dependent hepatotoxicity from PVC microplastics.

2025 Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce hepatotoxicity and disrupt lipid metabolism in the liver organoids

Using lab-grown human liver organoids, researchers showed that polystyrene microplastics caused liver cell damage even at concentrations found in the environment. The microplastics disrupted fat metabolism, increased harmful reactive oxygen species, and triggered inflammation in the liver tissue. This study provides early evidence that microplastic exposure could contribute to liver problems like fatty liver disease in humans.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 279 citations
Article Tier 2

The Histopathological and Genetic Effects of Long-Term Treatment with High-Molecular-Weight Polyvinyl Chloride on Various Organs of Young Wistar Rats

Researchers fed young Wistar rats food containing 1% or 2% polyvinyl chloride for eight weeks, finding histopathological damage to the intestines, liver, kidney, and spleen, along with genetic effects including DNA fragmentation, demonstrating organ-level toxicity of chronic PVC microplastic ingestion.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Chronic environmental exposure to polystyrene microplastics increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

A mouse study found that long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics increased the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The microplastics accumulated in the liver and disrupted fat metabolism, causing inflammation and liver damage, which is concerning because most previous studies only looked at short-term exposure effects.

2025 Toxicology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the detrimental effects of microplastics on Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) fingerlings survival and health

Researchers exposed Asian seabass fingerlings to different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics in their diet and observed significant increases in mortality. Tissue analysis revealed serious liver damage including hepatocyte degeneration and inflammation in fish fed microplastic-contaminated diets. The study provides evidence that dietary microplastic exposure poses a direct threat to the survival and health of farmed fish species.

2024 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic PET‐Microplastic Exposure: Disruption of Gut–Liver Homeostasis and Risk of Hepatic Steatosis

Researchers exposed mice to PET microplastics ground from plastic bottles over 29 weeks and found that the particles caused obesity, liver enlargement, fatty liver disease, and early-stage scarring of liver tissue. The microplastics also disrupted gut bacteria and bile acid metabolism, pointing to damage along the gut-liver connection. The findings raise concerns about the long-term health effects of chronic exposure to the type of microplastics commonly found in food and beverages.

2025 Advanced Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota dysbiosis exacerbates polystyrene microplastics-induced liver inflammation via activating LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway in ducks

This study found that polystyrene microplastics exacerbate gut microbiota dysbiosis in ducks, and that this disruption of the gut microbial community amplifies liver inflammation through the gut-liver axis, revealing a mechanism by which MP exposure causes hepatic injury.

2025 Poultry Science