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Review
. 2023 Sep 21;24(18):14391.
doi: 10.3390/ijms241814391.

Microplastics and Kidneys: An Update on the Evidence for Deposition of Plastic Microparticles in Human Organs, Tissues and Fluids and Renal Toxicity Concern

Edoardo La Porta  1   2 , Ottavia Exacoustos  1 , Francesca Lugani  1 , Andrea Angeletti  1   3 , Decimo Silvio Chiarenza  1 , Carolina Bigatti  1 , Sonia Spinelli  3 , Xhuliana Kajana  3 , Andrea Garbarino  3 , Maurizio Bruschi  3   4 , Giovanni Candiano  2 , Gianluca Caridi  2 , Nicoletta Mancianti  5 , Marta Calatroni  6   7 , Daniela Verzola  8 , Pasquale Esposito  8   9 , Francesca Viazzi  8   9 , Enrico Verrina  1   2 , Gian Marco Ghiggeri  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Microplastics and Kidneys: An Update on the Evidence for Deposition of Plastic Microparticles in Human Organs, Tissues and Fluids and Renal Toxicity Concern

Edoardo La Porta et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Plastic pollution became a main challenge for human beings as demonstrated by the increasing dispersion of plastic waste into the environment. Microplastics (MPs) have become ubiquitous and humans are exposed daily to inhalation or ingestion of plastic microparticles. Recent studies performed using mainly spectroscopy or spectrometry-based techniques have shown astounding evidence for the presence of MPs in human tissues, organs and fluids. The placenta, meconium, breast milk, lung, intestine, liver, heart and cardiovascular system, blood, urine and cerebrovascular liquid are afflicted by MPs' presence and deposition. On the whole, obtained data underline a great heterogeneity among different tissue and organs of the polymers characterized and the microparticles' dimension, even if most of them seem to be below 50-100 µm. Evidence for the possible contribution of MPs in human diseases is still limited and this field of study in medicine is in an initial state. However, increasing studies on their toxicity in vitro and in vivo suggest worrying effects on human cells mainly mediated by oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis. Nephrological studies are insufficient and evidence for the presence of MPs in human kidneys is still lacking, but the little evidence present in the literature has demonstrated histological and functional alteration of kidneys in animal models and cytotoxicity through apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress and inflammation in kidney cells. Overall, the manuscript we report in this review recommends urgent further study to analyze potential correlations between kidney disease and MPs' exposure in human.

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; environment; kidney disease; microplastics; toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Leading steps for identification and characterization of MPs in human samples.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphical representation of main findings of MPs in human organ, tissues and fluids.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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