Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Livestock: Sources, Exposure Pathways, and Physiological Consequences

This review examined how microplastics enter livestock systems through contaminated soil, water, and feed, and assessed the resulting risks to animal health, food safety, and agricultural sustainability. The review highlights that livestock exposure pathways are numerous and that microplastic contamination of the food chain is a growing concern.

2024 Journal Of Advanced Zoology
Review Tier 2

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on the reproductive system: A review

This review summarizes research on how micro and nanoplastics affect the reproductive system in both animal studies and cell experiments. Evidence indicates these particles can cross biological barriers, accumulate in reproductive organs, and disrupt hormones, egg development, and sperm quality. While human studies are still limited, the animal data suggests microplastic exposure may be a meaningful concern for reproductive health.

2023 Chemosphere 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of Microplastics in Livestock Production: A Challenge for Animal Health and Sustainability

This review examines microplastic contamination in livestock production systems, summarizing evidence of microplastic presence in feed, water, and animal tissues, and discussing implications for animal health, food safety, and sustainability.

2025
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on human reproductive health: A review

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect human reproductive health in both men and women. Evidence from animal and lab studies shows that these particles can accumulate in reproductive organs, disrupt hormones, damage eggs and sperm, and cause inflammation and oxidative stress. While human studies are still limited, the growing body of evidence suggests that microplastic exposure is a potential threat to fertility that warrants further investigation.

2025 Toxicology Letters 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the farm animal derived food chain: The silent contaminants from farm to fork

Researchers reviewed five years of studies on microplastic contamination in animal-derived foods — including milk, meat, and eggs — finding that plastics enter livestock through ingestion and breathing, then end up in products consumed by humans. Once ingested, plastic particles can damage cell structures including mitochondria and the nucleus, potentially disrupting the digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems.

2025 Indian Journal of Animal Health
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: invisible killers of female fertility and offspring health

This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect female fertility across multiple species, from reproductive failure to developmental problems in offspring. The tiny particles can infiltrate the body through food, air, and skin, accumulating in reproductive tissues where they disrupt hormones and damage eggs. While animal studies cannot be directly applied to humans, the consistent findings across species raise serious concerns about the potential impact of microplastic exposure on women's reproductive health.

2023 Frontiers in Physiology 54 citations
Review Tier 2

"Unseen Dangers: The Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Human Reproductive Health - A Narrative Review"

This review examines the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on human reproductive health, covering evidence from in vitro, animal, and epidemiological studies showing that plastic particles can disrupt hormone signaling, sperm function, ovarian development, and placental integrity.

2025 Recent Advances in Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery
Article Tier 2

Research Progress in Reproductive Toxicity of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Males and Its Mechanisms

This review summarized research on the reproductive toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in males, finding that MNPs accumulate in reproductive organs and cause toxicity through oxidative stress, hormonal disruption, and DNA damage, with implications for both animal and human reproductive health.

2025 Hans Journal of Food and Nutrition Science
Review Tier 2

The sources and impact of microplastic intake on livestock and poultry performance and meat products: a review

This review examined how microplastics affect livestock and poultry health, productivity, and the safety of meat products. Researchers found that while lab experiments show microplastics can cause oxidative stress and inflammation at high concentrations, it remains unclear whether typical environmental exposure levels affect animal welfare or productivity. Microplastics were detected in animal tissues at levels that raise potential consumer safety concerns, though current detection methods are prone to contamination.

2025 Animal Production Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano and microplastics on the reproduction system: In vitro and in vivo studies review

This review summarizes both lab and animal studies on how micro and nanoplastics affect the reproductive system in males and females. Evidence shows that microplastics can reduce sperm quality, damage ovaries, disrupt hormone levels, and even cross the placenta during pregnancy. The findings raise significant concerns about how widespread microplastic exposure might contribute to fertility problems and reproductive health issues in humans.

2023 Food and Chemical Toxicology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Farm animals as a critical link between environmental and human health impacts of micro-and nanoplastics

Researchers argue that farm animals — livestock exposed daily to microplastics and nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles under 5 mm and 1 micrometer, respectively) through contaminated feed, soil, and water — represent an understudied but critical link between environmental plastic pollution and human health risks through the food supply. The authors call for more research on how plastics transfer from agricultural environments through livestock into meat, dairy, and eggs consumed by people.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the impact of nanoplastics on reproductive health: Exposure pathways, mechanisms, and implications

This review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles smaller than one micrometer) affect reproductive health in animals and potentially humans. Studies show that nanoplastics can accumulate in reproductive organs including the placenta, and evidence from animal studies links exposure to hormone disruption, reduced fertility, and developmental problems. The authors highlight a significant knowledge gap about nanoplastic effects on human reproduction, despite growing evidence that these particles reach our reproductive systems.

2024 Toxicology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the threat: Microplastics and nano-plastics' impact on reproductive viability across ecosystems

This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect reproduction across many species, from aquatic invertebrates to mammals including humans. In males, exposure leads to testicular damage, lower sperm quality, and hormone disruption; in females, it causes ovarian and uterine problems, inflammation, and reduced fertility. The evidence also shows these reproductive harms can be passed to offspring, raising serious concerns about long-term effects on human fertility.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Reproductive toxicity and related mechanisms of micro(nano)plastics in terrestrial mammals: Review of current evidence.

This review of terrestrial mammal studies found that micro- and nanoplastics induce reproductive toxicity through oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and DNA damage, affecting both male and female fertility. In males, effects include blood-testis barrier disruption and impaired spermatogenesis, while females show compromised oocyte maturation, ovarian fibrosis, and diminished ovarian reserve, with particles also capable of crossing the maternal-fetal interface.

2024 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Reproductive toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics

This review summarizes existing research on how micro- and nanoplastics harm reproduction across many species, from marine invertebrates to mammals. The particles can cause oxidative stress and hormone disruption, leading to reduced fertility, abnormal embryo development, and toxic effects that pass to offspring. The findings raise concerns that human reproductive health could be similarly affected given our increasing exposure to these particles.

2023 Environment International 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging insights into the impacts of heavy metals exposure on health, reproductive and productive performance of livestock

This review examines how heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium accumulate in livestock through contaminated feed and water, causing oxidative stress, organ damage, reproductive problems, and reduced productivity. While focused on livestock rather than microplastics, the paper is relevant because microplastics can carry and concentrate heavy metals, potentially making their combined effects on the food chain even worse.

2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Connecting the Dots: Livestock Animals as Missing Links in the Chain of Microplastic Contamination and Human Health

This review highlights that farm animals are a missing link in understanding how microplastics move from contaminated soil and plants into the human food supply. Livestock can accumulate inhaled and ingested plastic particles, which may then transfer to people through meat, milk, and eggs. The authors call for standardized methods to measure microplastics in animal products to better understand this exposure pathway.

2024 Animals 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Reproductive Dysfunction in Animals

This review of existing research shows that tiny plastic particles called microplastics can build up in animal reproductive organs and cause serious fertility problems, including damaged sperm and eggs, hormone disruption, and birth defects. While these studies focused on animals, the findings are concerning for humans since we're also exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air. More research is needed to understand the long-term risks to human fertility and reproduction.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The Pressing Issue of Micro- and Nanoplastic Contamination: Profiling the Reproductive Alterations Mediated by Oxidative Stress

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics affect reproductive health across aquatic and land-based organisms, focusing on oxidative stress as the primary damage mechanism. Researchers found that these plastic particles can reach the gonads through the bloodstream and even accumulate in human and mouse placenta, with harmful effects on sperm and egg development, embryo growth, and offspring survival. The severity of reproductive harm appears to increase with smaller particle sizes and longer exposure times.

2022 Antioxidants 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Farmed Animals—A Review

This review summarizes research on microplastic contamination in farmed animals including fish, cattle, and poultry, finding that microplastics have been detected in their intestines, liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive organs. The particles disrupt gut bacteria, cause tissue damage, and carry toxic chemicals and pathogens. Since these animals are raised for human consumption, microplastics in livestock represent a direct pathway for plastic contamination to reach people through their diet.

2024 Microplastics 19 citations
Article Tier 2

The reproductive and transgenerational toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: A threat to mammalian fertility in both sexes

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics can accumulate in reproductive organs and harm fertility in both males and females. In animal studies, exposure led to damaged sperm, disrupted hormones, and abnormal ovary and uterus structure. Offspring of exposed mothers also showed metabolic problems, immune issues, and cognitive disorders, suggesting these particles may affect future generations.

2023 Journal of Applied Toxicology 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Reproductive Dysfunction in Animals

This research review summarizes studies showing that tiny plastic particles called microplastics can build up in animals' reproductive organs and harm their ability to have healthy offspring. The plastic particles cause damage that leads to poor sperm and egg quality, hormone problems, and birth defects in various animals from fish to mammals. While this research focused on animals, it raises concerns about potential fertility effects in humans since we're also exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the reproductive system: A comprehensive review of fertility and potential harmful interactions

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics can harm both male and female reproductive systems by disrupting hormone signaling, damaging sperm and egg cells, and causing inflammation in reproductive tissues. Smaller nanoplastics are especially concerning because they can cross biological barriers more easily and reach the testes and ovaries. With global infertility rates rising, the authors highlight environmental plastic exposure as a factor that deserves more research attention.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Biological Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Farm Animals: Global Perspectives with Insights from Bangladesh

This review examines the largely unexplored effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on farm animals, with particular focus on Bangladesh's livestock sector. Evidence from experimental studies suggests these particles can enter animals through contaminated feed, water, and air, potentially causing oxidative stress, gut disruption, reduced fertility, and changes in gene expression. The findings highlight an urgent need for research and regulation to protect food safety and animal health in regions with high plastic pollution.

2025 Animals 4 citations