We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.
The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ...
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
Exposure to microplastics during pregnancy is a cause for concern, according to research conducted at Utrecht University.
The researchers found that even very large plastic particles can be taken up by placenta cells in a laboratory setting.
The presence of microplastics in the placenta is a cause for concern given that in utero exposure to other particles, such as particulate matter (PM2.5) in air pollution, has been associated with complications in pregnancy such as pre-term birth and pre-eclampsia.
The researchers also found that plastic particles can become a vector for other chemicals they encounter in the environment. This in turn could expose the fetus to a raft of potentially dangerous pollutants.
These pollutants include Polychlorinated Biphenyls – a group of manmade chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Researcher Hanna Dusza said: ‘The placenta is a complex temporary organ that plays an essential role during pregnancy. It is a lifeline for the developing baby, regulating the exchange of nutrients, gases and waste products between the mother and the fetus. The placenta is also an important endocrine organ, producing hormones crucial for the maintenance of pregnancy.
‘Ultrafine particles in air pollution can reach the placenta, possibly increasing the risk of pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth or low birth weight. Recent studies have shown that microplastics are also detected in the placenta, though their effects are unclear. Our research shows that plastic particles of different sizes are efficiently taken up by placenta cells, where they may exert subtle effects on endocrine function.’
Professor Patricia Hunt added: ‘Chemicals used in plastics not only have the potential to harm our fertility but also to affect future generations.
‘Linking maternal and fetal exposure to birth outcomes, development, and adult disease would convince even persistent doubters of the harmful effects of plasticizing chemicals.
‘But we don’t have the luxury of time. We must put faith in experimental evidence and ensure that our estimates of human exposure are accurate.’