Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Health Implications of Microplastic Exposure in Pregnancy and Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how microplastic exposure during pregnancy and early childhood may affect health. The evidence shows that microplastics can reach the placenta and may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, raising concerns about potential effects on fetal development and infant health during these vulnerable life stages.

2025 International Journal of Women s Health 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of Microplastics on Pregnancy and Fetal Development: A Systematic Review

A systematic review of 12 studies confirmed the presence of microplastics ranging from 2.1 to 100 micrometers in human placentas and fetal tissue. Microplastic levels correlated with reduced birthweight, affected gestational age, diminished microbiome diversity, and impaired fetal growth and development, with lifestyle choices influencing placental microplastic burden.

2024 Cureus 21 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Systematic Review of the Placental Translocation of Micro- and Nanoplastics

Nine out of eleven studies confirmed that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the placental barrier, with translocation depending on particle size, charge, chemical modification, and protein corona formation. Animal and in vitro studies showed emerging evidence of placental and fetal toxicity from plastic particle exposure.

2023 Current Environmental Health Reports 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Elevated Micro- and Nanoplastics Detected in Preterm Human Placentae

This study found that placentas from preterm births contained 28% higher concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics compared to full-term births, with certain plastic types like PVC and polycarbonate strongly associated with earlier delivery. Specific plastics were also linked to lower birth weight and shorter pregnancies. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure during pregnancy may be a contributing factor to preterm birth, which is a leading cause of infant health complications.

2025 8 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review of Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Clinical Outcomes

This systematic review found that microplastics have been detected in human blood, placental tissue, and gastrointestinal samples, with proposed health mechanisms including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, and gut microbiome alterations. While direct clinical evidence remains limited, the accumulating laboratory and observational data point to microplastics as a plausible contributor to multiple disease pathways.

2025 Cureus
Article Tier 2

Placental Exposure to Nanoplastics Threatening the Maternal and Fetal Health

This review examines how nanoplastics reaching the placenta threaten maternal and fetal health, summarizing evidence from animal and in vitro studies showing that placental nanoplastic accumulation disrupts nutrient transport, immune function, and fetal development.

2025 Health Dynamics
Article Tier 2

Year 116 of the plastic age: a Pandora’s box as a time bomb for pregnancy? Review of clinical and fundamental data on prenatal exposure to plastics

This review examined evidence for micro- and nanoplastic presence in the human placenta and assessed implications for pregnancy outcomes, synthesizing in vitro, ex vivo, and epidemiological data. Multiple plastic types were detected in placental tissue from the basal plate to fetal membranes, and the authors raised concerns about placental dysfunction and fetal developmental risk.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of prenatal micro/nanoplastics exposure on intrauterine development and growth: a systematic review

This systematic review examines how exposure to micro- and nanoplastics during pregnancy may affect fetal development and growth. The research gathered evidence showing that tiny plastic particles can reach the placenta and potentially disrupt normal intrauterine development. While more research is needed, these findings raise important questions about protecting pregnant women from microplastic exposure through food, water, and air.

2026 Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Systematic Review of Sterile Intrauterine Inflammation, Immune-Metabolic Cues, and Epigenetic Programming: The Hidden Path to Preterm Birth

This systematic review of 48 studies identified four converging mechanisms driving preterm birth without infection: alarmin/inflammasome signaling, obesity-related metabolic disruption, environmental exposures (including microplastics, PFAS, and particulate matter), and gut/reproductive microbiota alterations. Microplastics are highlighted as a newly described environmental contributor to preterm birth through oxidative stress and epigenetic disruption.

2025 Journal of advanced health research & clinical medicine.
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health: Mechanistic insights and exposure pathways

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and deposit in tissues including the lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Evidence indicates these particles can cross embryonic layers and reach the placenta, and may cause inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic disruptions, and immune system effects upon interaction with biological tissues.

2025 Toxicology Letters 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/Nanoplastic Exposure on Placental Health and Adverse Pregnancy Risks: Novel Assessment System Based upon Targeted Risk Assessment Environmental Chemicals Strategy

Using a new risk assessment framework, researchers evaluated 40 studies on how micro- and nanoplastics affect the placenta during pregnancy. They found a moderate-to-low risk of reproductive harm, with smaller particles posing greater danger by disrupting cell function and triggering cell death in placental tissue. These findings suggest that widespread plastic pollution could have implications for pregnancy health.

2024 Toxics 22 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Exposure During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Risks to Maternal and Fetal Health

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how microplastic exposure during pregnancy may affect mothers and developing babies. Studies suggest microplastics can cross the placental barrier, raising concerns about potential effects on fetal development, though more human research is needed to confirm specific risks.

2025 Eurasian Journal of Family Medicine
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic inhalation during pregnancy: Impacts on uteroplacental function and offspring health

This review examined evidence that inhaled micro- and nanoplastics during pregnancy accumulate in placental and fetal tissues, impair uteroplacental blood flow and immune function, and are associated with adverse developmental outcomes in offspring, identifying inhalation as a critical but understudied exposure route.

2025 Rutgers University Community Repository (Rutgers University)
Article Tier 2

Silent Invaders: the emerging impact of micro-, nanoplastics and plasticizers on human placental development and pregnancy outcomes

This review examines growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics, along with their chemical additives like bisphenols and phthalates, can reach and accumulate in placental tissue. Researchers found that these particles and chemicals can induce placental cell death through oxidative stress, disrupt endocrine signaling essential for pregnancy, and impair vascular and metabolic functions. The study suggests that ubiquitous plastic pollution warrants closer investigation as a potential risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
Article Tier 2

Assessing microplastics as a novel threat to maternal-fetal health: Placental barrier penetration and fetal developmental consequences

This review addressed how microplastics cross the placental barrier and affect fetal development, covering cellular responses in placental tissue, animal model findings, and limited human study data. The authors concluded that transplacental microplastic transfer is a plausible mechanism for intergenerational health effects.

2025 Reproductive Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: A threat to Fetoplacental unit and Reproductive systems

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics may harm the placenta and reproductive system, particularly during pregnancy. The authors highlight that these tiny plastic particles have been found in placental tissue and may interfere with fetal development, though they note that much more research is needed to understand the full risks to mothers and babies.

2025 Toxicology Reports 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics at the Placenta–Fetal Interface: Emerging Chemical Toxicology Concerns

Researchers reviewed how nanoplastics interact with trophoblasts at the placenta-fetal interface, identifying plastic additives, surface chemistry, and adsorbed protein coronas as drivers of oxidative stress and disrupted cellular function, and calling for advanced placental models to guide developmental toxicity risk assessment.

2026 Chemical Research in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and additives in patients with preterm birth: The first evidence of their presence in both human amniotic fluid and placenta

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found microplastics and plastic additives in both the amniotic fluid and placentas of women who experienced preterm premature rupture of membranes. Out of 10 patients, 9 had plastic particles in at least one sample, with chlorinated polyethylene being the most common type found. While it is too early to draw conclusions about a causal link to preterm birth, the presence of plastics in the womb environment raises serious concerns.

2023 Chemosphere 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Perinatal Period: Emerging Evidence on Maternal Exposure, Placental Transfer, and Fetal Health Outcomes

This review summarizes emerging evidence that microplastics can cross the placenta and reach developing babies, having been detected in maternal blood, placental tissue, amniotic fluid, cord blood, and breast milk. The tiny plastic particles may damage the placenta, disrupt hormones, alter immune responses, and potentially affect fetal growth and brain development. While more research is needed, the findings raise serious concerns about microplastic exposure during pregnancy and its implications for infant health.

2025 Sarvodaya International Journal of Medicine 7 citations
Article Tier 2

What Health Concerns Could Micro and Nanoplastics Pose for Infants? A Review

Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in human placentas, meconium, and infant faeces, meaning babies can be exposed before and immediately after birth. This review examines what these early-life exposures might mean for infant health and development, and discusses broader policy responses to reduce plastic overproduction as the most direct route to protecting future generations.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Risk of Microplastics on Health, Agriculture and Environment

This review examines the emerging risks that microplastics pose to human health, agriculture, and ecosystems, covering exposure routes from food, water, and air. Researchers highlighted concerning findings such as the detection of microplastics in human placentas and their potential to carry harmful chemicals into the body. The study emphasizes that microplastic contamination is a growing global concern that requires coordinated research and policy responses across multiple sectors.

2024 Annals of Biomedical Science and Engineering 4 citations
Review Tier 2

A review on micro- and nanoplastics in humans: Implication for their translocation of barriers and potential health effects

This review compiles evidence showing that micro- and nanoplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, placenta, and other organs, and can cross protective barriers including the blood-brain and placental barriers. The accumulated evidence links these particles to inflammation, oxidative stress, hormone disruption, and potential effects on reproduction and brain health, though more research is needed to determine exact risk levels.

2024 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on early-life health: a roadmap towards risk assessment

Researchers proposed a detailed risk assessment roadmap specifically for how micro- and nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and early childhood could harm fetal and infant development, noting that these tiny particles have already been detected in human placentas. The framework identifies critical gaps in dosing data, detection methods, and placental transfer research needed before reliable safety conclusions can be drawn.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 25 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effects of Microplastics on Human Physiology: Mechanisms of Toxicity and Health Risks

This systematic review summarizes research on how microplastics affect human body systems, covering studies from 2000 to 2025. The evidence shows that microplastics have been found in blood, placenta, and reproductive tissues, and can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune responses. While more research is needed, the findings suggest microplastics may contribute to chronic health conditions through multiple biological pathways.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)