Detection of various microplastics in placentas, meconium, infant feces, breastmilk and infant formula: A pilot prospective study

Li, Shaojie; Lin, Guojia; Liu, Xinyuan; Yang, Ruoru; Wang, Hangwei; Sun, Yongyun; Chen, Bin; Dong, Ruihua

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158699

Cited by 154 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…We only counted the particles of MPs with diameters of 20–500 μm due to the limitation of the methodology. In this result, data in Table and Figure have already been published in previous study . The additional data has not been published yet.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

The Association Between Microplastics and Microbiota in Placentas and Meconium: The First Evidence in Humans

Liu

Jialin

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Pregnancy and infancy are vulnerable times for detrimental environmental exposures. However, the exposure situation of microplastics (MPs) for mother−infant pairs and the adverse health effect of MPs are largely unknown. Therefore, we explored MP exposure in placentas and meconium samples, and the potential correlation of MP exposure with microbiota in placentas and meconium. A total of 18 mother−infant pairs were effectively recruited from Shanghai, China. The study required pregnant women to provide placentas and meconium samples. An Agilent 8700 laser infrared imaging spectrometer (LDIR) was applied to identify MPs. Microbiota detection was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Sixteen types of MPs were found in all matrices, and polyamide (PA) and polyurethane (PU) were the major types we identified. MPs detected in samples with a size of 20−50 μm were more than 76.46%. At the phylum level, both placenta and meconium microbiota were mainly composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes. We also found some significant differences between placenta and meconium microbiota in β-diversity and gut composition. Additionally, we found polystyrene was inversely related with the Chao index of meconium microbiota. Polyethylene was consistently inversely correlated with several genera of placenta microbiota. The total MPs, PA, and PU consistently impacted several genera of meconium microbiota. In conclusion, MPs are ubiquitous in placentas and meconium samples, indicating the wide exposure of pregnant women and infants. Moreover, our findings may support a link between high concentration of MPs and microbiota genera in placentas and meconium. Additionally, there were several significant associations between the particle size of MPs in 50−100 μm and meconium microbiota.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

The Association Between Microplastics and Microbiota in Placentas and Meconium: The First Evidence in Humans

Liu

Jialin

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Microplastics have been found in fish [ 21 ], shellfish [ 22 , 23 , 24 ], poultry meat [ 25 ], eggs [ 26 ], salt [ 27 , 28 , 29 ], sugar [ 30 ], fruits [ 31 ], vegetables [ 32 ], water [ 33 ], milk [ 34 , 35 ], honey [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], beer [ 35 ], wine [ 38 ], tea [ 39 , 40 , 41 ], energy drinks, soft drinks [ 41 ], and infant formula [ 42 ] ( Figure 2 ). Consumption of MPs negatively affects the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems [ 43 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics Derived from Food Packaging Waste—Their Origin and Health Risks

et al. 2023

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Plastics are commonly used for packaging in the food industry. The most popular thermoplastic materials that have found such applications are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and polystyrene (PS). Unfortunately, most plastic packaging is disposable. As a consequence, significant amounts of waste are generated, entering the environment, and undergoing degradation processes. They can occur under the influence of mechanical forces, temperature, light, chemical, and biological factors. These factors can present synergistic or antagonistic effects. As a result of their action, microplastics are formed, which can undergo further fragmentation and decomposition into small-molecule compounds. During the degradation process, various additives used at the plastics’ processing stage can also be released. Both microplastics and additives can negatively affect human and animal health. Determination of the negative consequences of microplastics on the environment and health is not possible without knowing the course of degradation processes of packaging waste and their products. In this article, we present the sources of microplastics, the causes and places of their formation, the transport of such particles, the degradation of plastics most often used in the production of packaging for food storage, the factors affecting the said process, and its effects.

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“…More toxic effects are reported in exposure studies with smaller MP below 10 μm, compared to larger ones in aquatic biota [ 16 ]. Moreover, the number of MP detected in the muscle and liver tissue of salmonids [ 14 ], salps [ 28 ], bivalves [ 16 ]; (overview in Table 2 of the reference) and humans [ 29 ] was higher for smaller MP below 50 μm as compared to larger ones. However, to assess the risk, exposure studies need to be evaluated in context with environmental contamination in the same size class and chemical identity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lately, an increasing number of studies showed that MP are an emerging threat also to terrestrial ecosystems [ 34 ]. The occurrence of MP in feces from humans, wild animals, livestock, and pets has been documented [ 13 , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] ] but studies showing the uptake of MP into human tissues through ingestion are still scarce [ 20 , 29 , [41] , [42] , [43] ]. However, occurrence studies in human feces [ 38 , 44 ] and blood [ 45 ], point towards that humans ingest MP in measurable amounts and that MP can translocate across tissue barriers within the body.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient extraction of small microplastic particles from rat feed and feces for quantification

Toto¹,

Refosco²,

Dierkes

et al. 2023

Heliyon

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Detection of various microplastics in placentas, meconium, infant feces, breastmilk and infant formula: A pilot prospective study

Cited by 154 publications

References 37 publications

The Association Between Microplastics and Microbiota in Placentas and Meconium: The First Evidence in Humans

The Association Between Microplastics and Microbiota in Placentas and Meconium: The First Evidence in Humans

Microplastics Derived from Food Packaging Waste—Their Origin and Health Risks

Efficient extraction of small microplastic particles from rat feed and feces for quantification

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