On October 8, 2024, scientists from the AURORA consortium published a scientific protocol outlining the background, goals, and methodologies of the entire Horizon 2020 project. The paper was published in the open-access and peer-reviewed journal JMIR Research Protocols.
The AURORA project addresses knowledge gaps by examining micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) exposures and their biological and health effects during pregnancy and early life. These periods are critical due to the increased vulnerability to environmental stressors. The project’s primary objectives are to:
- Enhance exposure assessment methods for measuring MNPs, MNP-associated chemicals, and plastic additives in human tissues, including the placenta and blood.
- Advance methods for in-depth characterization and scalable chemical analytical strategies.
- Conduct toxicological and epidemiological studies to evaluate the associations between maternal and prenatal MNP exposures and various health outcomes.
AURORA is developing and refining exposure assessment techniques to measure MNPs and their associated chemicals in human tissues. This includes enhancing methods for high-resolution and large-scale toxicological assessment, exposure assessment, and epidemiological studies. Key methodological advancements planned include:
- Chemical Analytical Strategies: Improving the precision and scalability of techniques to detect and quantify MNPs in biological samples.
- Toxicological Studies: Implementing a tiered-testing approach to assess the toxicological impacts of MNP exposure on placental function, immune-inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, accelerated aging, endocrine disruption, and child growth and development.
- Epidemiological Investigations: Evaluating associations between maternal and prenatal MNP exposures and health perturbations using comprehensive data analysis.
The research consortium adheres to stringent ethical standards. It has received approval from authorized medical ethical committees in the participating countries and complies with local and EU regulations. External stakeholder groups have been assembled to ensure that the needs and expectations of end-users are addressed throughout the project. To facilitate the dissemination of findings, the project team plans to:
- Publish results in peer-reviewed open-access journals.
- Present findings at scientific conferences.
- Engage directly with stakeholders, including the European Commission, to inform policy development.
AURORA started in April 2021 and will run for five years until 2026. So far, much of the focus has been on establishing and optimizing methods, including the synthesis of nanoparticles, digestion protocols, and high throughput measurements of MNPs in samples. All published research can be found on the project’s results page. Now into the second half of the project, lots more exciting research is planned to be published. Stay tuned, follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the CUSP newsletter.
Reference
Durkin A. et al. (2024) “Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics during Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study.” JMIR Research Protocols. DOI: 10.2196/63176
