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Reproductive & Development
2,459 resultsPlasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta
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In a landmark study, researchers detected microplastics in human placental tissue for the first time, finding 12 plastic fragments in placentas from four out of six women with healthy pregnancies. The particles were identified as polypropylene and dyed plastics likely from packaging or cosmetics, raising concerns about potential effects on fetal development and pregnancy.
Oyster reproduction is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics
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Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to polystyrene microplastics during their reproductive period and found significant impacts on their ability to reproduce. Exposed oysters produced fewer and smaller egg cells and slower-swimming sperm, resulting in fewer offspring that also developed more slowly. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution could threaten the reproductive success of commercially and ecologically important shellfish populations.
The Impact of Polystyrene Microplastics on Feeding, Function and Fecundity in the Marine Copepod Calanus helgolandicus
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Researchers exposed a key marine copepod species to polystyrene microplastics and measured the effects on feeding, egg production, and offspring survival. They found that microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the amount of algae the copepods consumed, lowered their reproductive output, and decreased the hatching success of their eggs. Since copepods are a foundational link in marine food webs, these effects could have cascading consequences for ocean ecosystems.
Occurrence, Fate, Behavior and Ecotoxicological State of Phthalates in Different Environmental Matrices
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This review examines the widespread presence of phthalates, chemicals commonly added to plastics to increase flexibility, across air, water, soil, and food. Researchers found that phthalates are detected virtually everywhere in the environment and have been linked to reproductive, developmental, and hormonal effects in laboratory studies. The study highlights that indoor air represents a particularly significant source of human exposure since people spend the majority of their time indoors surrounded by plastic-containing products.
Macro- and micro- plastics in soil-plant system: Effects of plastic mulch film residues on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth
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Researchers studied how plastic mulch film residues, both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable types, affect wheat growth when mixed into soil. They found that both macro- and micro-sized plastic residues negatively impacted plant growth above and below ground, with effects varying depending on the plastic type and the presence of earthworms. The study highlights that agricultural plastic residues left in soil can meaningfully affect crop development and soil ecosystem health.
Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea
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Researchers discovered that steeping a single plastic teabag at brewing temperature releases approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a cup of tea. These particle levels are several orders of magnitude higher than those previously reported in other foods. Toxicity testing on water fleas showed that exposure to these released particles caused dose-dependent behavioral and developmental effects.
Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population
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Researchers conducted the first risk assessment of microplastic contamination in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables and found particles in all samples tested, with apples and carrots showing the highest levels. Particles as small as 1.5 micrometers were detected, and the team calculated estimated daily intake values for both adults and children. The findings highlight a previously undocumented dietary exposure route and raise questions about the long-term health implications of consuming microplastics through produce.
Microplastic sources, formation, toxicity and remediation: a review
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This review covers where microplastics come from, how they form, and their toxic effects on humans, noting that microplastics have been found in blood, stool, sputum, saliva, and placenta. The paper links microplastic exposure to cancer, intestinal disease, cardiovascular problems, and inflammatory conditions, and describes cleanup methods including filtration, adsorption, and photocatalytic degradation.
Accumulation and Embryotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles at Early Stage of Development of Sea Urchin Embryos Paracentrotus lividus
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Researchers exposed sea urchin embryos to polystyrene nanoparticles with different surface charges and studied how the particles accumulated and affected development. They found that positively charged nanoparticles embedded in the embryos' outer membrane and caused significant developmental defects, while negatively charged particles were less harmful. The study suggests that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics plays a key role in determining their toxicity to developing marine organisms.
Polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity in mice
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Researchers exposed male mice to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and found that the particles accumulated in testicular tissue and entered reproductive cells. After 28 days of exposure, sperm quality and testosterone levels declined, and tissue examination revealed disorganized sperm-producing cells and inflammation. The study suggests that microplastic exposure may pose risks to male reproductive health in mammals.
Exposure to polystyrene microplastics causes reproductive toxicity through oxidative stress and activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway
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Researchers exposed male mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and observed significant reproductive harm, including decreased sperm count, reduced motility, and increased deformity rates. The damage was linked to oxidative stress and activation of a specific cellular signaling pathway called p38 MAPK. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure may pose risks to male reproductive health in mammals through oxidative stress mechanisms.
Lifetime Accumulation of Microplastic in Children and Adults
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Using a computer model, researchers estimated that adults consume around 883 microplastic particles per day through food and breathing, with particles gradually accumulating in body tissues over a lifetime. By age 70, an adult may have accumulated over 50,000 tiny plastic particles in their body that cannot be cleared out. This model, which matched real-world measurements of microplastics in human stool, provides the first detailed picture of how lifetime microplastic exposure builds up in the body.
Chemical composition and ecotoxicity of plastic and car tire rubber leachates to aquatic organisms
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Researchers tested chemical leachates from five types of common plastic and car tire rubber microplastics for their effects on algae and mussels. Car tire rubber and PVC produced the most toxic leachates, containing compounds like benzothiazole and zinc that significantly inhibited algal growth. The study reveals that the chemical additives leaching from degrading plastics may pose a greater immediate risk to aquatic organisms than the physical particles themselves.
Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human Health
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This review examines phthalates, chemicals widely used to make plastics flexible, and their harmful effects on human health as endocrine disruptors. Chronic exposure to phthalates has been linked to reproductive problems, developmental issues in children, and complications during pregnancy. Since phthalates are common additives in microplastics, understanding their toxicity is essential for assessing the full health risk of microplastic exposure.
Effects of microplastics on juveniles of the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps): Confusion with prey, reduction of the predatory performance and efficiency, and possible influence of developmental conditions
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Researchers tested whether juvenile common goby fish ingest microplastics and whether their presence affects predatory performance. The study found that fish confused microplastics with prey, and that microplastic presence reduced predatory efficiency, with developmental conditions in different estuaries also influencing the fish's ability to distinguish between food and plastic particles.
Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review
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This review examines how microplastics have been found in drinking water, salt, honey, seafood, and air, and how they can travel to organs including the brain, liver, and heart after being absorbed. Once inside the body, plastic additives and attached pollutants may disrupt the immune and endocrine systems, affect reproduction, and potentially contribute to cancer risk.
Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics are found throughout the environment and in human samples, entering the body through food, air, and skin contact. Lab studies in cells and animals show microplastics can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, immune reactions, brain toxicity, and reproductive harm, and early human health data links microplastic exposure to several chronic diseases.
A Review of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Insights Into Microplastics as Obesogens
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This review examines how humans are exposed to microplastics through air, dust, water, food, and even baby bottles, with estimated intake ranging from tens of thousands to millions of particles per year. Emerging evidence suggests that microplastics may act as obesogens, meaning they could disrupt fat metabolism and hormonal systems through chemical additives like phthalates and bisphenols. The review raises particular concern about infant exposure, as babies may face higher levels of microplastics from plastic feeding bottles and medical devices.
Widespread distribution of PET and PC microplastics in dust in urban China and their estimated human exposure
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Researchers collected indoor and outdoor dust samples from 39 major Chinese cities and found widespread contamination with PET and polycarbonate microplastics. Indoor dust contained significantly higher concentrations than outdoor dust, suggesting that household products and furnishings are major sources. The study estimated daily human exposure levels through dust ingestion and inhalation, identifying young children as the most vulnerable group.
Polystyrene microplastics cause tissue damages, sex-specific reproductive disruption and transgenerational effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)
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Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to environmentally realistic concentrations of polystyrene microplastics and found tissue damage, oxidative stress, and sex-specific reproductive disruption. The effects carried over to the next generation even without direct microplastic exposure. The study provides evidence that microplastics at levels found in the ocean can cause lasting biological harm across generations in fish.
Micro- and nanoplastic toxicity on aquatic life: Determining factors
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This comprehensive review examined the key factors that determine the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics to aquatic organisms. Researchers found that harmful effects depend on particle concentration, size, exposure time, shape, polymer type, and the species being exposed. The most commonly reported impacts included disrupted growth, oxidative stress, inflammation, immune system changes, and altered metabolism, with smaller particles generally causing more severe effects.
Detection of Various Microplastics in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery
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In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found microplastics inside the human heart and surrounding tissues of 15 cardiac surgery patients, identifying nine different plastic types with particles up to 469 micrometers across. Some plastics were found deep within heart tissue in ways that could not be explained by surgical contamination, providing direct evidence that microplastics can reach even fully enclosed internal organs.
The Effects of Natural and Anthropogenic Microparticles on Individual Fitness in Daphnia magna
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Researchers compared the effects of natural and anthropogenic microparticles on the fitness of the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that both primary microplastics from cosmetic products and secondary microplastics from degraded plastic waste can have detrimental effects on zooplankton feeding and fitness, with particle shape and weathering influencing toxicity.
Detection of Microplastic in Human Placenta and Meconium in a Clinical Setting
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Researchers detected microplastic particles larger than 50 micrometers in human placenta and meconium (a baby's first stool) collected during cesarean deliveries. This is significant because it provides direct evidence that microplastics are present in the womb and are being passed to babies before and during birth. The study emphasizes the need for careful contamination controls in clinical studies and calls for further research on nano-sized plastics in human tissue.