Mitochondria represent pivotal cellular organelles endowed with multifaceted functionalities encompassing cellular respiration, metabolic processes, calcium turnover, and the regulation of apoptosis, primarily through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Perturbations in mitochondrial dynamics have been intricately linked to the etiology of numerous cardiovascular pathologies, such as heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and various cardiomyopathies. Notably, recent attention has been directed towards the detrimental impact of micro- and nanoplastic pollution on mitochondrial integrity, an area underscored by a paucity of comprehensive investigations. Given the escalating prevalence of plastic particle contamination and the concomitant burden of cardiovascular disease in aging populations, understanding the interplay between mitochondria within the cardiovascular system and micro- and nanoplastic pollution assumes paramount importance. This review endeavors to elucidate the current albeit limited comprehension surrounding this complex interplay. Key words Mitochondria, Nanoplastics, Microplastics, Cardiovascular system, Endothelial function, Oxidative phosphorylation.
- MeSH
- Cardiovascular Diseases metabolism MeSH
- Cardiovascular System * metabolism drug effects MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Microplastics toxicity MeSH
- Mitochondria * metabolism drug effects MeSH
- Nanoparticles MeSH
- Reactive Oxygen Species metabolism MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
BACKGROUND: Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants of concern with ubiquitous presence in global ecosystems. MNPs pose potential implications for human health; however, the health impacts of MNP exposures are not yet understood. Recent evidence suggests that MNPs can cross the placental barrier, underlying the urgent need to understand their impact on reproductive health and development. OBJECTIVE: The Actionable eUropean ROadmap for early-life health Risk Assessment of micro- and nanoplastics (AURORA) project will investigate MNP exposures and their biological and health effects during pregnancy and early life, which are critical periods due to heightened vulnerability to environmental stressors. The AURORA project will enhance exposure assessment capabilities for measuring MNPs, MNP-associated chemicals, and plastic additives in human tissues, including placenta and blood. METHODS: In this interdisciplinary project, we will advance methods for in-depth characterization and scalable chemical analytical strategies, enabling high-resolution and large-scale toxicological, exposure assessment, and epidemiological studies. The AURORA project performs observational studies to investigate determinants and health impacts of MNPs by including 800 mother-child pairs from 2 existing birth cohorts and 110 women of reproductive age from a newly established cohort. This will be complemented by toxicological studies using a tiered-testing approach and epidemiological investigations to evaluate associations between maternal and prenatal MNP exposures and health perturbations, such as placental function, immune-inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, accelerated aging, endocrine disruption, and child growth and development. The ultimate goal of the AURORA project is to create an MNP risk assessment framework and identify the remaining knowledge gaps and priorities needed to comprehensively assess the impact of MNPs on early-life health. RESULTS: In the first 3 years of this 5-year project (2021-2026), progress was made toward all objectives. This includes completion of recruitment and data collection for new and existing cohorts, development of analytical methodological protocols, and initiation of the toxicological tiered assessments. As of September 2024, data analysis is ongoing and results are expected to be published starting in 2025. CONCLUSIONS: As plastic pollution increases globally, it is imperative to understand the impact of MNPs on human health, particularly during vulnerable developmental stages such as early life. The contributions of the AURORA project will inform future risk assessment. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/63176.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Maternal Exposure adverse effects MeSH
- Microplastics * adverse effects toxicity MeSH
- Nanoparticles adverse effects toxicity MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- MeSH
- Food Safety MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Plastics * adverse effects MeSH
- Food and Beverages * MeSH
- Natural Resources MeSH
- Environmental Pollution legislation & jurisprudence MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Review MeSH
Phthalic acid isomers are the monomers of phthalate molecules, also known as phthalic acid esters, widely employed in the plastics industry. This study aims to investigate the biodegradation of phthalic acid (PA) and terephthalic acid (TPA) by five industry-borne Comamonas testosteroni strains: 3APTOL, 3ABBK, 2B, 3A1, and C8. To assess the ability of C. testosteroni strains to biodegrade phthalic acid isomers in fermentation media, an analytical method was employed, consisting of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. Subsequently, molecular screening of the genomic and plasmid DNA was conducted to identify the degradative genes responsible for the breakdown of these chemicals. The genes of interest, including ophA2, tphA2, tphA3, pmdA, and pmdB, were screened by real-time PCR. The five C. testosteroni strains effectively degraded 100% of 100 mg/L PA (p = 0.033) and TPA (p = 0.0114). Molecular analyses indicated that all C. testosteroni strains contained the pertinent genes at different levels within their genomes and plasmids, as reflected in the threshold cycle (Ct) values. Additionally, DNA temperature of melting (Tm) analyses uncovered minor differences between groups of genes in genomic and plasmid DNA. C. testosteroni strains could be excellent candidates for the removal of phthalic acid isomers from environmental systems.
Phthalates and the substitute plasticizer DINCH belong to the first group of priority substances investigated by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) to answer policy-relevant questions and safeguard an efficient science-to-policy transfer of results. Human internal exposure levels were assessed using two data sets from all European regions and Israel. The first collated existing human biomonitoring (HBM) data (2005-2019). The second consisted of new data generated in the harmonized "HBM4EU Aligned Studies" (2014-2021) on children and teenagers for the ten most relevant phthalates and DINCH, accompanied by a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program for 17 urinary exposure biomarkers. Exposures differed between countries, European regions, age groups and educational levels. Toxicologically derived Human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GVs) were exceeded in up to 5% of the participants of the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. A mixture risk assessment (MRA) including five reprotoxic phthalates (DEHP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP, DiNP) revealed that for about 17% of the children and teenagers, health risks cannot be excluded. Concern about male reproductive health emphasized the need to include other anti-androgenic substances for MRA. Contaminated food and the use of personal care products were identified as relevant exposure determinants paving the way for new regulatory measures. Time trend analyses verified the efficacy of regulations: especially for the highly regulated phthalates exposure dropped significantly, while levels of the substitutes DINCH and DEHTP increased. The HBM4EU e-waste study, however, suggests that workers involved in e-waste management may be exposed to higher levels of restricted phthalates. Exposure-effect association studies indicated the relevance of a range of endpoints. A set of HBM indicators was derived to facilitate and accelerate science-to-policy transfer. Result indicators allow different groups and regions to be easily compared. Impact indicators allow health risks to be directly interpreted. The presented results enable successful science-to-policy transfer and support timely and targeted policy measures.
- MeSH
- Biological Monitoring * MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Phthalic Acids * urine MeSH
- Environmental Pollutants * urine MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Environmental Monitoring methods MeSH
- Environmental Exposure analysis MeSH
- Plasticizers * analysis MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
Environmental microorganisms usually exhibit a high level of genomic plasticity and metabolic versatility that allow them to be well-adapted to diverse environmental challenges. This study used shotgun metagenomics to decipher the functional and metabolic attributes of an uncultured Paracoccus recovered from a polluted soil metagenome and determine whether the detected attributes are influenced by the nature of the polluted soil. Functional and metabolic attributes of the uncultured Paracoccus were elucidated via functional annotation of the open reading frames (ORFs) of its contig. Functional tools deployed for the analysis include KEGG, KEGG KofamKOALA, Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD), and the Antibiotic Resistance Gene-ANNOTation (ARG-ANNOT V6) for antibiotic resistance genes, TnCentral for transposable element, Transporter Classification Database (TCDB) for transporter genes, and FunRich for gene enrichment analysis. Analyses revealed the preponderance of ABC transporter genes responsible for the transport of oligosaccharides (malK, msmX, msmK, lacK, smoK, aglK, togA, thuK, treV, msiK), monosaccharides (glcV, malK, rbsC, rbsA, araG, ytfR, mglA), amino acids (thiQ, ynjD, thiZ, glnQ, gluA, gltL, peb1C, artP, aotP, bgtA, artQ, artR), and several others. Also detected are transporter genes for inorganic/organic nutrients like phosphate/phosphonate, nitrate/nitrite/cyanate, sulfate/sulfonate, bicarbonate, and heavy metals such as nickel/cobalt, molybdate/tungstate, and iron, among others. Antibiotic resistance genes that mediate efflux, inactivation, and target protection were detected, while transposable elements carrying resistance phenotypes for antibiotics and heavy metals were also annotated. The findings from this study have established the resilience, adaptability, and survivability of the uncultured Paracoccus in the hydrocarbon-polluted soil.
- MeSH
- ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters genetics MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology MeSH
- Bacterial Toxins * MeSH
- Clostridioides difficile * genetics MeSH
- Metagenome MeSH
- Paracoccus * genetics MeSH
- Soil chemistry MeSH
- Metals, Heavy * MeSH
- DNA Transposable Elements MeSH
- Hydrocarbons MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- MeSH
- Environmental Pollutants MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Plastics * MeSH
- Water Pollution prevention & control legislation & jurisprudence MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- News MeSH
OBJECTIVES: During the covid-19 pandemic, protective equipment such as respirators and masks were widely used to protect respiratory tract. This disposable protective equipment is usually made from plastic fibre-based nonwoven fabrics. If used masks and respirators are improperly discarded, they pollute the environment by becoming a source of micro and nanoplastics. The aim of the study was to find out how stable the materials of protective equipment are and how released nano and microplastics can affect aquatic and soil organisms. MATERIALS: The input materials used to produce respirators and masks were tested for their thermal stability and resistance to the release of plastic particles into the environment. To determine the thermal stability of the materials, a simultaneous thermal analysis - thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were performed. RESULTS: Materials of masks and respirators are stable at temperatures common to temperate climate zone. However, the possible effects of chemical reactions of the materials with the environment were not considered during the measurement. The materials were also subjected to ecotoxicity tests according to European standards. CONCLUSION: While the leachate obtained by shaking the materials in water did not show acute toxicity to the selected aquatic organisms, the material itself had a significant effect on selected soil organisms (springtails).
- MeSH
- COVID-19 * prevention & control MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pandemics MeSH
- Plastics MeSH
- Respiratory Protective Devices * MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
