Context

Plastics pose environmental and health risks, with aging plastic debris breaking down into microplastics and nanoplastics (NPLs). NPLs have been detected in food and beverages, raising concerns about human health risks from oral exposure. In response to plastic pollution, many countries and manufacturers have developed eco-friendly, biodegradable plastics from renewable resources to replace petroleum-based ones. However, under inadequate degradation conditions, these plastics may persist and release bio-based nanoplastics (bNPLs). Due to limited human exposure data and toxicological references for NPLs and bNPLs, the health risks remain poorly understood.

Objectives

The microPLAstox project focuses on NPLs (particles below 1 μm in size) and aims to compare the toxicological impact after oral exposure in humans between conventional (NPLs) and bio-based (bNPLs) particulate plastics using in vitro approaches. A special emphasis will be given on human gut microbiota, as well as physicochemical transformations of NPLs/bNPLs during human simulated digestion and disturbances of gut barrier (mucus/epithelium/immune players) and gut-liver axis. In an original way, microPLastox will study the effects of Western-style stress diet has a critical exposome component, which could influence the physicochemical digestion parameters, alter gut barrier integrity and induce gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Partners

INRAE TOXALIM

Toulouse (France)
Muriel MERCIER-BONIN - Hervé ROBERT
Gladys MIREY

 

LIST

Belvaux (Luxembourg)
Jean-Nicolas AUDINOT - Sébastien CAMBIER
Jean-Sébastien THOMMAN

UCA / INRAE UMR MEDIS

Clermont-Ferrand (France)
Stéphanie BLANQUET-DIOT
Lucie ETIENNE-MESMIN

 

Funding

ANR "Projet de Recherche Collaborative International" PRCI France - Luxembourg FNR

Contact

Stéphanie BLANQUET-DIOT (stephanie.blanquet [at] uca.fr)
Lucie ETIENNE-MESMIN (lucie.etienne-mesmin [at] uca.fr)