Papers

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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

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
Article Tier 2

Intergenerational neurotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in offspring mice is mediated by dysfunctional microbe-gut-brain axis

Researchers found that mother mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics during pregnancy and nursing passed neurological harm to their offspring, with the babies showing brain inflammation, disrupted dopamine and serotonin signaling, and gut microbiome imbalances — suggesting that nanoplastic exposure before birth can damage the developing brain through the gut-brain connection.

2024 Environment International 19 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

Effects of nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment of rat offspring

When pregnant and nursing rats were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, their offspring showed thinner brain cortexes, disrupted neurotransmitter levels, damaged connections between brain cells, and problems with anxiety and spatial memory. This study suggests that maternal exposure to nanoplastics during pregnancy and breastfeeding could affect brain development in offspring.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 43 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of nanopolystyrene nanoplastic exposure on the development and neurotoxicity of fetal rats during gestation].

Researchers found that gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in rats caused dose-dependent reductions in fetal body weight, body length, and brain development, with smaller 25 nm particles producing more pronounced neurotoxic effects than 50 nm particles.

2022 PubMed 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during gestation and lactation induces hepatic and testicular toxicity in male mouse offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant and nursing mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and studied the effects on their male offspring. The offspring showed reduced body weight, liver damage with inflammation and disrupted sugar metabolism, and testicular harm including decreased sperm counts. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause significant organ damage in the next generation.

2022 Food and Chemical Toxicology 168 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

Perinatal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters socioemotional behaviors via the microbiota–gut–brain axis in adult offspring mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics during the perinatal period and found that the offspring developed depression-like behaviors, reduced social interactions, and diminished social dominance as adults. The nanoplastics caused structural damage to hippocampal neurons and disrupted gut microbiota composition, particularly in male offspring. The study suggests that early-life nanoplastic exposure may affect brain development and behavior through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

2025 Brain Behavior and Immunity 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nano-polystyrene during pregnancy leads to Alzheimer's disease-related pathological changes in adult offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to nano-sized polystyrene plastic particles and found that their adult offspring showed brain changes closely resembling early Alzheimer's disease — including abnormal tau protein buildup and amyloid plaques — suggesting prenatal nanoplastic exposure may raise dementia risk.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene microplastics impairs social behavior in mouse offspring with a potential neurotoxicity

When pregnant mice were exposed to polystyrene microplastics, their offspring showed impaired social behavior even though the plastics did not reach the brain directly. The microplastics accumulated in the mothers' digestive organs and caused changes in brain cell growth and survival in isolated neurons. This study suggests that microplastic exposure during pregnancy could affect brain development and social behavior in offspring through indirect mechanisms.

2023 NeuroToxicology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse adult-onset and multigenerational effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) developmentally exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers raised zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics during early development through to adulthood and found lasting reproductive impairment, heritable hyperactivity in offspring, and molecular changes in male reproductive and brain tissue linked to neurodegenerative disease pathways and endocrine disruption, demonstrating that brief developmental nanoplastic exposure can cause multigenerational harm.

2025 Environmental Pollution
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

Early-life exposure to polypropylene nanoplastics induces neurodevelopmental toxicity in mice and human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polypropylene nanoplastics through inhalation and found that their offspring showed impaired brain development, poor spatial memory, reduced motor coordination, and increased anxiety. Tests using human brain organoids (lab-grown mini-brains) confirmed that nanoplastics disrupt the growth and differentiation of neurons, raising concerns about fetal brain health from plastic pollution during pregnancy.

2025 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Intergenerational and transgenerational reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in female mice

Female mice were exposed to polystyrene microplastics during lactation and researchers tracked reproductive outcomes in both exposed mothers and their offspring through multiple generations, finding that even at doses comparable to human infant bottle-feeding exposure, microplastics induced ovarian damage and reduced fertility that persisted across generations.

2025 Global Reproductive Health
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters fetal brain metabolism in mice

When pregnant mice drank water containing polystyrene nanoplastics at low concentrations, their unborn pups showed significant changes in brain chemistry, including a 40% drop in GABA (a key brain chemical) and a 30% drop in glucose levels. These metabolic disruptions in the fetal brain could help explain the structural brain changes previously seen in pups born to nanoplastic-exposed mothers. This study raises concerns that nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy could affect fetal brain development in humans.

2023 Metabolomics 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic toxicology following gestational and lactational exposure

This review examines evidence from animal studies showing that polystyrene nanoplastics can cross the placental barrier during pregnancy, accumulate in maternal and offspring organs, and cause widespread toxicity. Reported effects in offspring include reproductive and endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, cardiovascular damage, and metabolic disorders, with the severity of effects influenced by particle size, dose, and timing of exposure.

2026 Nanotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Molecular effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human neural stem cells

Researchers exposed human brain stem cells to tiny polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and cell death. These findings suggest that nanoplastics could potentially harm brain development if they reach neural tissue, though more research is needed to understand real-world exposure levels.

2024 PLoS ONE 28 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effects of exposure to micro/nanoplastics of polystyrene on neuronal oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and anxiety-like behavior in mice: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examined 24 studies on how polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics affect the brains of mice. The findings consistently showed that exposure led to increased oxidative stress, brain inflammation, and anxiety-like behavior. Maternal exposure also caused brain-related harm in offspring, suggesting these tiny plastic particles could pose real risks to the nervous system.

2024 Emerging contaminants 13 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

Nano polystyrene induced changes in anxiety and learning behaviour are mediated through oxidative stress and gene disturbance in mouse brain regions

Researchers orally exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics for eight weeks and documented impaired learning, spatial memory deficits, and heightened anxiety, linked to oxidative stress, reduced neurotransmitter gene expression, and altered acetylcholinesterase activity across three brain regions including the cortex and hippocampus.

2023 NeuroToxicology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Neonatal Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs Microglia-Mediated Synaptic Pruning and Causes Social Behavioral Defects in Adulthood

Newborn mice exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed disrupted brain development that led to social behavior problems lasting into adulthood. The nanoplastics impaired microglia -- the brain's immune cells -- preventing them from properly pruning unnecessary connections between nerve cells during a critical window of early development. This raises concerns about nanoplastic exposure from baby bottles and other infant products.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Lifelong exposure to polystyrene-nanoplastics induces an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like phenotype and impairs brain aging in mice

Mice exposed to nanoplastics throughout their entire lives -- from the womb through old age -- developed ADHD-like symptoms as adults, including hyperactivity, risk-taking behavior, and impaired learning, and showed a lower seizure threshold in old age. These behavioral changes were accompanied by altered brain proteins and accelerated brain aging at the cellular level, suggesting lifelong nanoplastic exposure may contribute to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Manifestation of polystyrene microplastic accumulation in brain with emphasis on morphometric and histopathological changes in limbic areas of Swiss albino mice

Mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics showed cognitive impairment, anxiety-like behavior, and measurable brain damage, particularly in the limbic system regions responsible for memory and emotion. The microplastics accumulated in the brain and caused neuron loss in the hippocampus, along with structural damage to the cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus. This study provides direct evidence that microplastics can reach the brain and cause physical changes that affect behavior and mental function.

2024 NeuroToxicology 12 citations