Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes, preventing genomic instability during cell division. With each cell division, the telomeres get shorter, leading to cell death when reaching a certain threshold. Shortened telomeres have been associated with several health outcomes. For instance, impaired fetal growth and preterm birth were linked to shortened telomeres in umbilical cord blood and placental tissues. Certain chemicals are known to result in telomere length reduction. However, the association of placental microplastic exposure and telomere length in reproductive tissues and cord blood remained unexplored.
Shuo Zhang from the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning, China, and co-authors have now found that exposure to microplastics may lead to telomere shortening in cord blood and placental tissue. In their article published on June 30, 2025, in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, the authors describe that the extent of the effect was dependent on the polymer type. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) concentrations were associated with shortened telomere length in cord blood, while the association between microplastic levels and reduced placental telomere length was most pronounced for polypropylene (PP).
The authors concluded that microplastics “may impact early-life biological aging, with consistent effects observed across both sexes … even at levels commonly encountered in the environment.” They urge policymakers to implement measures to reduce microplastic exposure, specifically in pregnant women and infants.
The study included 1121 pregnant women from Shenyang, China, with sample collection conducted between September 2022 and December 2023. The scientists used Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) imaging to identify and analyze microplastics in placental tissue. Importantly, they focused on PVC, PP, and PBS particles, ignoring plastic particles made from other polymer types. PVC, PP, and PBS particles were detected in 89.2 %, 89.9 %, and 88.2 % of the samples, respectively, with a median concentration of 15 particles per 10 g of placental tissue. Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure telomere length in placental tissue and cord blood.
Reference
Zhang, S. et al. (2025). “Exposure to placental microplastic and placental and umbilical cord blood telomere length.” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118536
This article was originally published by Lisa Zimmermann at the Food Packaging Forum.
