Microplastics, or plastic particulates measuring less than five micrometers, are a growing environmental concern. These particulates disrupt reproduction, immune cell and microbiome composition in the gut, and neural and endocrine function in aquatic species and laboratory animals. Now, a new study published in Cell Reports suggests that the smaller the plastic, the greater the problem.
According to Chao Wang, an immunologist at Soochow University and coauthor of the study, feeding mice nanoplastics induced a greater overall immune response in their guts than feeding mice larger microplastics. This supports previous research showing size-dependent differences in how nanoparticles interact with cells and instigate responses from them.
Learn More: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/nanoplastic-ingestion-causes-neurological-deficits-71152
