No prominent toxicity of polyethylene microplastics observed in neonatal mice following intratracheal instillation to dams during gestational and neonatal period

Microplastics (MPs) have been recently recognized as a global environmental threat and its exposure as a risk factor to human health. Health effects through MPs exposure have been recently reported, especially through oral route of exposure. Since MPs could be exposed to humans through routes other than oral, this study was designed to evaluate whether MPs exposed through the inhalation route could be delivered to fetal mice and exhibit systemic toxicity. Polyethylene (PE) with 10–45 µm diameter were administered at 0 (distilled water, vehicle control), 6 (low administration), and 60 (high administration) µg/ mouse/day to 3 pregnant dams per group from gestational day 9 to postnatal day (PND) 7 through intratracheal instillation. Dams and neonates were sacrificed at PND 7 and blood was collected. Various neonatal organs including brain, lung, heart, stomach, intestine, kidneys, and ovaries were collected for histopathological observation and weight measurement. No influence of PE-MPs administration was observed on the number of offsprings born, but the body and organs’ weight were heavier overall in the high administration group of dams and neonates than the other groups with statistical significance achieved in the heart and spleen weight. Level of serum acetylcholinesterase and glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased in the high administration group of dams and neonates compared with the other groups. Lung was the organ with highest number of PE-MPs present in the both administration groups of dams, and PE-MPs were also detected in liver and intestine of the high administration dams. Whereas, PND7 neonates showed accountable numbers of PE-MPs only in kidneys of the high administration group. Overall, the present study indicates that PE-MPs instilled intratracheally could be delivered to neonates from dams. Even though adverse effects from PE-MPs exposure during pregnant and lactational period are less prominent on both dam and neonate, potential of second-generation toxicity could be considered for further investigation.