Undergraduate Research Assistant New Jersey Institute of Technology Hopewell Junction, New York, United States
Abstract Authors: Allison Harbolic1; Hanin Alahmadi1; Gina Moreno2; Phoebe Stapleton2; Genoa Warner1 1. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 2. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
Abstract Text: Since its invention in the early 20th century, plastic production increased exponentially, reaching 400 million tons in 2015, and is projected to increase to 1.6 billion tons per year by 2050. Only about 10% of the plastic ever produced gets recycled with the majority of plastic ending up in landfills or the environment to weather into smaller and smaller particles eventually becoming micro- and nanoplastics. Humans are exposed to these particles daily with an estimated intake of micro- and nanoplastics equivalent to a credit card per week. This is especially concerning for pregnant women as exposure to these particles may not only interfere with their health but potentially the health of the developing fetus. Studies have identified microplastics and nanoplastics in human placentas, and nanoplastics can also infiltrate placental tissue in mice. The placenta is a critical organ developed during pregnancy that provides nutrients to the developing fetus and removes waste. It also plays a key role in preventing potentially hazardous compounds from entering so the fetus is not exposed, which is why plastic particles in the placenta are especially concerning. To analyze the potential impacts of nanoplastic exposure on placental health, we orally dosed pregnant CD-1 mice with either vehicle control or 200 nm polystyrene at 5 mg/kg/day for gestational day 8 to gestational day 14 with euthanasia occurring on day 14. Placentas were fixed, embedded in paraffin, and sliced into 5 µm sections before being placed on slides and stained using hematoxylin and eosin. We observed nanoplastics within the placenta using Cytoviva enhanced hyperspectral darkfield microscopy. We are currently analyzing whether or not these nanoplastics impact the dimensions of maternal and fetal blood spaces, and the various layers of the placenta. The results of our study will help us identify what parts of the placenta are targeted by nanoplastic exposure.
