Nano-plastics from single use plastics can cause DNA damage in humans, disrupt key biological functions: Study

A new study by Indian scientists has provided the first clear evidence that nano-plastics derived from single-use plastic PET bottles can directly disrupt key biological systems that are vital for human health.

Short-term exposure of human cells to nano-plastics in laboratory tests showed minimal effects, but prolonged exposure led to reduced viability, accompanied by DNA damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers and increased expression of apoptosis, which is described as a natural process where a cell self-destructs in a controlled manner, the study found.

A team from Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali (INST), conducted a multi-system investigation, looking at gut bacteria as well as red blood cells and human skin cells, to examine the link between environmental plastic pollution and its consequences for human health. Gut microbes are crucial for protecting health as they regulate immunity, metabolism, and even mental wellbeing.

“The findings demonstrate that prolonged exposure to PET bottle-derived nanoplastics (PBNPs), adversely affects the probiotic bacterium, leading to a decline in bacterial viability, impaired growth kinetics, and compromised membrane integrity,” the researchers said in their study, published in Nanoscale Advances, a peer reviewed journal brought out by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK.

Pointing out that single-use plastic items generate micro and nano-plastics, raising serious concerns about their interactions with biological systems and potential health effects, the study said that while nano-plastics have been detected in the human body, a clear understanding of how these interact with key biological systems in the human body is still lacking.

The researchers suggested that the increase in bio-film formation and auto-aggregation, along with altered antibiotic susceptibility indicated that nano-plastics may interfere with probiotic stability and gut colonisation.

“These disruptions could have profound implications for host-microbe interactions, potentially affecting gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier integrity and overall health,” the researchers said. Nano-plastics can significantly disrupt glucose and lactate metabolism, they added.

The study also stressed that regulatory frameworks must be strengthened to address the risks associated with nano-plastics contamination and efforts should be directed toward the development of sustainable materials and mitigation strategies to reduce environmental and human exposure.