Associations between prenatal exposure to micro(nano)plastics and neonatal lipid profile

Abstract

Worldwide research interest is focused on the effects of environmental pollution on maternal and child health. Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants that have been confirmed to exist in humans and interfere with lipid metabolism. However, the degree of exposure to MNPs during early human life and the potential impact of prenatal exposure on offspring lipid metabolism are still not well understood. To investigate the issues, this study collected umbilical cord blood samples from 30 healthy fetuses in Chengdu, as well as first postnatal urine samples from 6 of them. MNPs, liver function indicators, and lipid profiles were measured and detailed questionnaire surveys were conducted. The MNPs abundance in cord blood (34.61 (26.64) μg g⁻¹) was significantly higher than in neonatal urine (8.42 (2.82) μg g⁻¹), and more types of MNPs were found in cord blood. Additionally, the total abundance of all MNPs types in cord blood showed a negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (r = −0.40, p < 0.05), and the abundance of polyamide 66 (PA66) had a positive correlation with triglyceride levels (r = 0.39, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the abundance of MNPs in cord blood showed a positive correlation with the frequency of maternal takeaway food consumption during pregnancy (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and with the frequency of milk tea consumption (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). The exploratory results suggest that prenatal MNPs exposure accumulate in newborns, and may potentially contribute to lipid metabolism disorders. Meanwhile, maternal dietary habits may increase the risk of MNPs exposure during pregnancy. These findings highlight the risks of MNPs exposure during early human life and the potential hazards it may pose to offspring health, supporting the need for larger longitudinal studies.