Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

In Vivo Tissue Distribution of Microplastics and Systemic Metabolomic Alterations After Gastrointestinal Exposure

Researchers fed mice a mixture of common microplastics and then tracked where the particles ended up in the body and how they affected metabolism. They found that ingested microplastics crossed the gut barrier and accumulated in the liver, kidneys, and other tissues, causing measurable changes in metabolic pathways. The study provides evidence that microplastic exposure through the digestive system can lead to widespread tissue distribution and systemic metabolic disruption in mammals.

2023 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity-based toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic assessment for bioaccumulation of polystyrene microplastics in mice

Researchers developed a toxicity-based modeling framework to quantify how polystyrene microplastics accumulate in mouse organs and trigger biomarker responses. They found that the gut had the highest bioaccumulation factor when exposed to 5-micrometer particles, with a mean residence time of about 17 days. The study establishes threshold concentrations for toxic effects and provides a framework that could help extrapolate findings from animal studies to assess potential human health risks from microplastic consumption.

2018 Journal of Hazardous Materials 290 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential and challenges of developing physiologically-based toxicokinetic models to support human health risk assessment of microplastic and nanoplastic particles

This review explores the challenge of building computer models to predict how micro- and nanoplastics move through the human body after being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. While particle size and surface chemistry are well-studied, factors like shape, polymer type, and biological coatings need more attention. The authors propose a framework for a physiologically-based model that could help scientists better estimate how much plastic actually reaches human tissues.

2024 Environment International 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and toxicity of submicron plastic particles in mice

Researchers found that orally administered submicron-sized microplastics distributed to multiple organs and biofluids in mice over four weeks, causing oxidative stress and inflammation in tissues including the liver, kidneys, and gut.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

A Hybrid Perfusion-Diffusion based PBK model for the distribution of nano- and microplastics in the human body

Researchers developed a hybrid perfusion-diffusion physiologically based kinetic model to predict the distribution of nano- and microplastics in the human body across tissues and organs, addressing a key gap in human health risk assessment. The PBK model framework enables estimation of internal plastic particle doses in specific organs from external exposure data, supporting more mechanistic risk assessments.

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

In Vivo Tissue Distribution of Microplastics and the Systemic Metabolic Changes After Gastrointestinal Exposure in Mice

Mice exposed to microplastics via the gastrointestinal route showed systemic distribution of particles to multiple organs and measurable changes in metabolic pathways, providing early in vivo evidence of systemic impacts from plastic ingestion.

2024 Physiology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue accumulation of microplastics in mice and biomarker responses suggest widespread health risks of exposure

Researchers fed mice polystyrene microplastics of two sizes and tracked where the particles accumulated in the body, finding them in the liver, kidneys, and gut with distribution patterns depending on particle size. Biochemical analysis revealed that microplastic exposure disrupted energy and fat metabolism, caused oxidative stress, and altered markers of neurotoxicity in the blood. The study provides evidence that microplastics can accumulate in mammalian tissues and may pose widespread health risks.

2017 Scientific Reports 1354 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and human health: Integrating pharmacokinetics

This review takes a pharmacology-based approach to understanding how microplastics move through the human body, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Evidence suggests that smaller particles (under 10 micrometers) can cross the gut barrier and accumulate in organs like the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Understanding these pathways is essential for determining what levels of microplastic exposure might actually cause harm to human health.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 144 citations
Article Tier 2

A Hybrid Perfusion-Diffusion based PBK model for the distribution of nano- and microplastics in the human body

Researchers developed a hybrid physiologically-based kinetic model to predict the distribution of nano- and microplastic particles in the human body after ingestion. The model integrates perfusion and diffusion processes to estimate tissue-specific particle concentrations across different exposure scenarios.

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

Biodistribution of nanoplastics in mice: advancing analytical techniques using metal-doped plastics

Researchers developed a new analytical method using palladium-doped nanoplastics to track where plastic particles go in the body after ingestion in mice. They found that after short-term exposure, most particles passed through the digestive system and were excreted, but longer-term exposure led to accumulation in body tissues. The study advances the ability to detect and trace nanoplastics at extremely small concentrations in biological samples.

2025 Communications Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence on Invasion of Blood, Adipose Tissues, Nervous System and Reproductive System of Mice After a Single Oral Exposure: Nanoplastics versus Microplastics.

Researchers found that after a single oral exposure in mice, nanoplastics were rapidly absorbed into the blood, accumulated in fat tissues, and crossed both the blood-brain and blood-testis barriers. The study demonstrated that the distribution and behavior of plastic particles in mammals is strongly dependent on particle size, with nanoplastics showing substantially greater tissue penetration than microplastics.

2022 PubMed 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Numeric uptake drives nanoplastic toxicity: Size-effects uncovered by toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) modeling

This study used mathematical models to predict how different sizes of nanoplastics accumulate in and harm tiny water organisms (Daphnia magna). The smallest nanoplastics (30 nanometers) were the most toxic because they spread throughout the body, while larger ones mostly stayed in the gut. This size-dependent toxicity pattern is important because it suggests that the tiniest plastic particles, which are hardest to detect, may pose the greatest health risks.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Biodistribution and in vivo Toxicity of Varying Sized Polystyrene Micro and Nanoplastics in Mice

This study found that smaller plastic particles spread more widely through the bodies of mice and caused more organ damage than larger ones, particularly in the liver, kidneys, and heart. Nanoplastics (under 1 micrometer) were especially concerning because they crossed biological barriers more easily than microplastics. The results suggest that the tiniest plastic particles in our environment may pose the greatest health risks.

2024 International Journal of Nanomedicine 36 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Systematic Review of the Toxicokinetics of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Mammals Following Digestive Exposure

This systematic review summarizes existing research on what happens to micro and nanoplastics after mammals ingest them through food and water. The evidence shows these particles can survive digestion and potentially cross into tissues and organs, raising important questions about long-term health effects from the microplastics we unknowingly consume every day.

2025 Applied Sciences 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential adverse health effects of ingested micro- and nanoplastics on humans. Lessons learned from in vivo and in vitro mammalian models

This review compiles recent studies on the effects of ingested micro- and nanoplastics using mammalian in vivo and in vitro models to assess potential human health implications. The authors found that while substantial research effort has been made, significant gaps remain in understanding absorption, biodistribution, and toxicity of these particles in mammalian systems. The review provides recommendations for improved testing methods to generate more relevant and targeted data for human risk assessment.

2019 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part B 272 citations
Article Tier 2

The Uptake and Distribution Evidence of Nano- and Microplastics in vivo after a Single High Dose of Oral Exposure.

This in vivo study provided evidence on the uptake and organ distribution of nano- and microplastics following a single high-dose administration, finding that nanoplastics translocated rapidly to multiple organs through blood circulation while only small amounts of larger microplastics penetrated organs.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Systemic effects of nanoplastics on multi-organ at the environmentally relevant dose: The insights in physiological, histological, and oxidative damages

Researchers gave mice nanoplastics at doses estimated to match real-world human exposure levels and found the particles crossed the intestinal barrier and accumulated in the liver and kidneys. Even at these low, environmentally relevant doses, the nanoplastics caused oxidative stress and tissue damage across multiple organs. The findings suggest that everyday nanoplastic exposure may pose broader health risks than previously assumed.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the in vivo fate of inhaled micro- and nanoplastics with PET imaging

Using advanced PET imaging, researchers tracked what happens to inhaled and injected micro and nanoplastics inside living mice for the first time. They found that nanoplastics largely avoided being captured by immune cells in the lungs and could travel to other organs, while both sizes accumulated heavily in the liver and spleen after entering the bloodstream. This study provides direct evidence that inhaled plastic particles can redistribute throughout the body, which is important for understanding how airborne microplastics might affect human health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical review of nanoplastic bioaccumulation data and a unified toxicokinetic model: from teleosts to human brain

Researchers developed a unified mathematical model to describe how nanoplastics accumulate in organs across species, from fish to humans. By analyzing existing uptake and depuration data, they found that nanoplastic accumulation dynamics follow a universal pattern governed by a single parameter related to the body's excretion capacity. The model suggests that reported concentrations of nanoplastics in human organs, particularly the brain, are consistent with predicted accumulation trajectories from environmental exposure.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex intestinal and hepatic in vitro barrier models reveal information on uptake and impact of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics

Using laboratory models of human intestinal and liver barriers, researchers studied how plastic particles of different sizes cross from the gut into the body. Smaller nanoplastics (25 nm) were more readily taken up than larger microplastics, and the intestinal mucus layer provided some protection against particle absorption. The study also found signs of oxidative stress and changes in how liver cells process foreign substances after plastic exposure, providing insight into how ingested microplastics could affect human organs.

2023 Environment International 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Mass Balance Tracing of In Vivo Biodistribution, Relocation, and Excretion of Europium-Doped Micro/Nanoplastics in Rats

Scientists injected tiny plastic particles into rats and tracked where they went in the body for three months. Most plastic particles collected in the liver and spleen, with smaller particles being harder for the body to get rid of—only 80% of the smallest particles were eliminated compared to just 15% of larger ones. This suggests that microplastics from food, water, and air could build up in our organs over time, though the long-term health effects are still unknown.

2026 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Tissue Damage After a Single Microplastic Exposure in Mice

Researchers administered fluorescent microplastics to mice by oral gavage and tracked their distribution through the body over several hours. They found direct evidence of microplastic particles in the blood, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, and spleen, with fluorescence peaking at two hours after exposure. Histological examination revealed mild tissue damage including congestion in the liver and lungs, providing evidence that ingested microplastics can enter the bloodstream and reach multiple organs.

2025 Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. D, Histology and Histochemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering size-dependent inter-organ translocation of nanoplastics in fish using metal-labeled proxies and physiologically based toxicokinetic modeling

Researchers used metal-tagged nanoplastics to track how particles of two different sizes (50 nm and 200 nm) traveled through organs in zebrafish, finding that smaller particles spread more widely and recirculated longer, while gills were the primary entry route in water and the intestine was the main exit — providing the first detailed mathematical model of how nanoplastics move through a fish's body.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

What if you eat nanoplastics? Simulating nanoplastics fate during gastrointestinal digestion

Researchers simulated what happens to nanoplastics as they pass through the human digestive system, from the mouth through the stomach and intestines. They found that digestive conditions significantly altered the size and surface properties of the particles, which could affect how readily they are absorbed into the body. The study provides important insights into how the gut environment transforms nanoplastics and may influence their potential health effects.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations