Scientists find association between prevalence of microplastics in placental tissue and reduced placental and cord blood telomere length; strength of the association was polymer type-dependent; warn that microplastics may impact early-life biological aging
Author archives: joel.scheuchzer
AURORA research investigates effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on in vitro human placental model
Scientists from the AURORA project publish peer-reviewed research article assessing whether polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics pass the placental barrier in vitro; no significant effects on cells were found; exposure led to lower hormone production; warrants more research
Bio-based microplastics have adverse impacts on mice, study finds
Scientists expose mice to environmentally relevant doses of starch-based microplastics over three months; report wide range of impacts, including disputed lipid metabolism, higher blood glucose, increased hepatic oxidative stress, and changes in gene expression, potentially disrupting circadian rhythms
AURORA scientists meet to discuss final phases of the project
Project partners met in Edinburgh on March 31 – April 1 to discuss achievements so far and review next steps as project moves into its final phase; annual event included in-depth discussions about methods, preliminary results, and upcoming publications
Stakeholders meet for final CUSP Research Cluster events to discuss the potential human health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics
CUSP cluster holds scientific conference and stakeholder meeting as projects come to an end; all five EU projects within the cluster share research results; scientists discuss future research needs on human health and micro- and nanoplastics; stakeholders share perspectives and policy questions
Microplastics early ’25 science round-up: presence in humans and health impacts
Scientists detect more micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) in the human brain than in liver and kidney, higher levels in brains of dementia patients; find MNPs obstruct blood vessels, lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities; MNPs in women’s follicular fluid associated with lower fertilization rates; maternal MNP exposure impairs fertility of female mice offspring; “bioplastic” MNPs induce male reproductive toxicity in mice
AURORA scientists find significant levels of hazardous flame retardants in children’s plastic toys
Study analyzes children’s plastic toys from the EU market for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); find 11 out of 84 toys have elevated bromine content; finds PBDEs in all 11 samples, many of which exceed regulatory limits
AURORA study reviews available methods for detecting MNPs in human fluids and tissue
Review specifically focuses on high-throughput approaches for population-wide biomonitoring; calls for more standardization in methods and quality assessment and control
AURORA study examines cell uptake and interactions of polystyrene MNPs with hormone receptors
Researchers from the AURORA consortium publish a study testing for potential endocrine-disrupting effects of polystyrene (PS) micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) particles; finds uptake of PS-MNP particles differs per cell type; detects limited endocrine-disrupting effects in vitro; reports that PS-MNPs can affect steroidogenesis; study calls for needed additional research
Recent studies show that MNPs can negatively impact reproductive health
Studies confirm micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in human endometrial tissue, amniotic fluid, placentas, and feces of pregnant people; MNP presence in the endometrium is linked with recurrent miscarriages in humans, apoptosis in organoids, and reduced fertility in mice; higher MNPs exposure from seafood and bottled water consumption