Micro/nano plastics in the urinary system: Pathways, mechanisms, and health risks
Abstract
Micro/Nano plastics (MNPs) pollutants are widespread in the environment, raising significant concerns about their biosafety. Emerging studies indicate that the urinary system is a primary accumulation site for MNPs, leading to severe tissue and functional damage. This review aims to summarize recent research on the potential hazards that MNPs may pose to the urinary system, highlighting the mechanisms of toxicity and the current state of knowledge. Studies have shown that MNPs enter the human body through drinking water, the food chain, inhalation, and skin contact. They may penetrate the bloodstream via the digestive, respiratory, and skin systems, subsequently dispersing to various organs, including the urinary system. The potential accumulation of MNPs in the urinary system might induce cellular oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, the "intestine-kidney axis", and other possible toxic mechanisms. These processes could disrupt kidney metabolic functions and promote tissue fibrosis, thereby potentially increasing the risk of urinary system diseases. Despite ongoing research, the understanding of MNPs' impact on the urinary system remains limited. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of MNPs' potential toxicity mechanisms in the urinary system, highlights key challenges, and outlines future research directions. It offers a theoretical basis for the development of effective protective measures and policies.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future
- Nano/micro-plastic, an invisible threat getting into the brain
- Emerging contaminants antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics in the environment: Introduction to 21 review articles published in CREST during 2018–2022
- Water Resources and Sustainable Development
- Nano- and microplastics in the workplace
- Water Enclosure and World-Literature: New Perspectives on Hydro-Power and World-Ecology
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.