Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Disposition of [ 14 C]-polystyrene microplastics after oral administration to lactating sheep

When lactating sheep were fed radioactively labeled polystyrene microplastics, most passed through in feces, but a small fraction (up to 1%) entered the blood, milk, and urine. The microplastics were absorbed quickly but eliminated slowly from the body, with detectable levels persisting throughout the 72-hour study. This is significant because it shows microplastics can transfer into animal milk, meaning dairy products could be a pathway for human microplastic exposure.

2024 Food Additives & Contaminants Part A 10 citations
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

PET Tracing of Biodistribution for Orally Administered 64Cu-Labeled Polystyrene in Mice

Researchers used PET imaging to track the real-time biodistribution of orally administered radiolabeled polystyrene microplastics in mice. The study found that microplastics were absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed to various organs, providing direct visual evidence of how ingested plastic particles can travel through the body.

2021 Journal of Nuclear Medicine 81 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

MassBalance Tracing of In Vivo Biodistribution,Relocation, and Excretion of Europium-Doped Micro/Nanoplastics inRats

This rat study used europium-labeled micro- and nanoplastics to track particle distribution in the body after intravenous administration, finding that most accumulated in the liver and spleen with very little reaching the brain or heart. The results suggest that standard biological filtration processes govern microplastic distribution following classical size-dependent rules.

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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

Synthesis of 14C‐Labeled Polyethylene Terephthalate and Generation of 14C‐Nanoparticles for Fate and Disposition Studies

Researchers developed a method to synthesize carbon-14 labeled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and generate radiolabeled nanoparticles for tracking plastic fate in biological systems. The approach combines polycondensation chemistry with nanoprecipitation to produce well-characterized nanoparticles. This tool could enable researchers to study how PET micro- and nanoplastics are absorbed and distributed in the tissues of food animals, addressing a major knowledge gap in understanding plastic exposure through the food chain.

2025 Journal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing PET to track micro- and nanoplastics in vivo

This study explores the use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to track micro- and nanoplastic particles in living organisms. Researchers developed methods to radiolabel plastic particles, enabling accurate determination of how these pollutants move through the body, which is critical for understanding the health effects of chronic microplastic exposure.

2021 Scientific Reports 58 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
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

Fate, uptake and impact of fit-for-purpose nanoplastics on the digestive environment: an in vitro-in vivo continuum study

Researchers investigated the fate, uptake, and impact of fluorescent and gold-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics on the digestive environment, using fit-for-purpose labeled particles to track nanoplastic behavior in biological systems. The labeled nanoplastics enabled detailed mapping of how plastic nanoparticles are processed in the gut, providing mechanistic insight into absorption pathways.

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

Sub-chronic oral exposure to PET nanoplastics: Histopathological effects on ileum, liver, and kidney

Researchers exposed rats to PET nanoplastics orally over a sub-chronic period and assessed histopathological changes in the ileum and other tissues. PET nanoplastics caused structural damage to intestinal tissue at doses relevant to human dietary exposure scenarios.

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

Comparison of PET tracing and biodistribution between 64Cu-labeled micro-and nano-polystyrene in a murine inhalation model

Using radioactive copper labeling and PET imaging, researchers tracked where inhaled micro- and nano-sized polystyrene particles travel in the body, finding that nanoplastics distributed more widely to organs than microplastics after lung exposure. This is significant for understanding the health risks of airborne plastic particles, which people inhale daily from synthetic textiles, dust, and urban air.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Comparison of PET tracing and biodistribution between 64Cu-labeled micro-and nano-polystyrene in a murine inhalation model

Using advanced PET imaging in mice, researchers tracked where inhaled micro and nanoplastics traveled in the body and found that nano-sized particles cleared from the lungs much faster than micro-sized ones but accumulated more in the liver, spleen, and other organs. Micro-sized particles stayed in the lungs longer, with peak retention at 24 hours, while nano-sized particles spread quickly throughout the body. This is one of the first studies to directly visualize how inhaled plastic particles distribute through living mammals, confirming that smaller particles pose a greater risk of reaching organs beyond the lungs.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoparticles and the physiological effect on intestinal tissue contraction. Ex-vivo approaches

Researchers tested PET nanoplastic particles on rat intestinal tissue and found that the particles quickly crossed the intestinal barrier and accumulated in the tissue. At certain concentrations, the nanoplastics disrupted normal muscle contractions involved in digestion. This is one of the first studies to directly show that plastic nanoparticles can penetrate the gut wall and interfere with intestinal function, suggesting a potential health risk from ingesting nanoplastics in food and water.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Blood uptake and urine excretion of nano- and micro-plastics after a single exposure.

Mice exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles (100 nm) and microparticles (3 µm) via different routes showed that smaller particles appeared rapidly in blood and were detected in urine, while larger particles cleared more slowly. The study provides direct evidence that nanoplastics can cross biological barriers and enter circulation, with potential for distribution throughout the body.

2022 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Potential Impact Microplastic Polyethylene Terephthalate on Mice

Researchers studied how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics affect mice when ingested, tracking where the particles end up in the body. They found that microplastics accumulated in various organs and caused measurable biological effects. The study adds to growing evidence that common plastic types found in food packaging may pose health risks when consumed.

2024 Sarhad Journal of Agriculture 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic oral exposure to PET nanoplastics: Histopathological effects on ileum, liver, and kidney

Researchers conducted a sub-chronic oral exposure study in rats using PET nanoplastics, examining histopathological changes in the ileum and other intestinal tissues. PET nanoplastic exposure caused significant structural damage to the intestinal lining at doses relevant to estimated human dietary exposure.

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

Excretion characteristics of nylon microplastics and absorption risk of nanoplastics in rats

Researchers examined the excretion dynamics of nylon microplastics in rats, finding that fibrous particles were retained longer than granular ones, while nanoplastics could cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs including the liver and kidneys.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 32 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

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

Potential risks of PET micro- and nanoplastics to the human gastrointestinal system

Researchers exposed Caco-2 and HepG2 gastrointestinal cell lines to PET micro- and nanoplastics (50 nm to 2 mm) at concentrations from 0.001 to 100 mg/mL for up to 24 hours, assessing effects on gastrointestinal barrier integrity, cell viability, and inflammatory responses. Short-term exposure up to 4 hours did not affect barrier integrity, while longer exposures at higher concentrations began to reveal effects, with PET particles characterized by FTIR, Raman, SEM, and dynamic light scattering showing irregular morphology and elevated electrical charge.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent plastic nanoparticles to track their interaction and fate in physiological environments

This study developed fluorescently labeled plastic nanoparticles made from PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene that can be tracked in biological environments to study how nanoplastics are taken up and processed by living organisms. Having trackable model nanoplastics is an important tool for understanding how these particles move through tissues and food chains.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent Polypropylene Nanoplastics for Studying Uptake, Biodistribution, and Excretion in Zebrafish Embryos

Researchers developed a method to produce fluorescent polypropylene nanoplastics and tracked their movement in zebrafish embryos. The study found that the nanoplastics were ingested, distributed in the intestine, and eventually excreted, providing a new tool for assessing the biological risks of environmentally relevant plastic particles at the nanoscale.

2022 ACS Omega 46 citations