Microplastics Found in Placenta: Potential Effects on Child Development

The breakthrough project on microplastics in the placenta showed in a short period of time that small plastic particles are present in the placenta and amniotic fluid. In addition, the researchers saw that microplastics were taken up by placental cells and had a subtle effect on the genes involved in hormone production and metabolism. This raises the question of whether small plastic particles can affect the growth and development of the child. In September 2022, the researchers released the news about this, after a publication in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Results achieved through collaboration

The research into microplastics in the placenta and amniotic fluid, together with fourteen other projects on the health risks of microplastics, fall under the breakthrough projects. prof. dr. Juliette Legler receives the ZonMw Pearl for her connecting role within and between the breakthrough projects. “The project was only possible through the collaboration of different disciplines in the fields of toxicology, cell biology, analytical chemistry and paediatrics. Thanks to the successful collaborations, we were able to take on many challenges and develop new ideas. For example, there were challenges with working plastic-free and refining chemical analysis methods,” says Prof. Dick Vethaak.

fame

Particularly due to the enormous efforts of Juliette Legler, the project has grown into a great success and has been continued in the public-private consortium MOMENTUM, which consists of twelve research institutes and fifteen industrial partners. Juliette Legler is also coordinator of this consortium, together with Dick Vethaak. “Under the expert and inspiring leadership of Juliette Legler, the different parties were brought together and she led the multidisciplinary project in an excellent way. She still does this with great enthusiasm and very motivating for everyone involved”, says Dick Vethaak. The consortium is now known worldwide when it comes to research into the health effects of microplastics.

Impact society

“The placenta project yielded interesting results that emphasize the urgency of follow-up research, which is why this follow-up came about. A solid line of research has emerged from a small breakthrough project. This unique study is one of the very first studies to demonstrate the presence of microplastics in the placenta and amniotic fluid, as well as metabolic changes in the placenta. The project is a model for the 15 breakthrough projects, by showing that we still know very little about the implications of exposure to tiny plastic particles, both before birth and throughout life,” explains Frank Pierik, Program Manager Microplastics & Health.

In the breakthrough projects, subtle effects of microplastics have also been seen in other essential parts of the body, such as in the intestines, lungs, brain and immune system. In addition to the placenta and amniotic fluid, the plastic particles have also actually been detected in the blood. The research results of all fifteen breakthrough projects therefore have an enormous social and scientific impact.

Research in the future

The health effects of microplastics will only be visible in the long term. There is an urgent need for further research into the effects of these new contaminants on pregnancy and child development. “We still don’t know enough about the health risks of microplastics and related chemicals and their exposure. We also need to monitor the presence of plastic particles in the human placenta and amniotic fluid. That is why it is necessary to focus on larger numbers of donors in a follow-up study in order to confirm the initial research results,” says Vethaak. The next step is to map out the risks for humans through, for example, epidemiological research. So that, if necessary, the health of future generations can ultimately be protected.

By: National Care Guide