Ongoing Research Archives - Page 2 of 2

Microplastic risk assessment and model development: Exposure assessment: In silico model, transfer across barriers, in vivo tracking, human stool study

April 13, 2024

Researchers / Institutional Affiliations

In silico exposure model:
Wageningen University and Research (WUR; The Netherlands)
Transfer across barriers:
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO; The
Netherlands)
BASF (Germany)
In vivo tracking study:
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO; The
Netherlands)
Charles River Laboratories
Human stool study:
Environment Agency Austria (UBA; Austria)

Timeline

In silico exposure model: Q1 2022 to Q1 2026
Transfer across barriers: Q3 2024 to Q1 2025
In vivo tracking study: Q3 2024 to Q1 2025
Human stool study: Q3 2023 to Q1 2024

Funding Source

Plastics Europe, Task 2.i. co-funded by Cefic-LRI (as project B24)

Additional information

The objective of Working Package 2 is to confirm and track the presence of microplastics in the
human body. There is a focus on: an in silico human exposure computer model, being built in
collaboration with Cefic-LRI project B24; transfer across barriers, using cell-culture assays to
establish the potential for microplastics to cross biological membranes; an in vivo tracking study
using model organisms; and a human stool study aimed at counting and characterizing
microplastics in human stool.

Professional Presentations

N/A

Published Papers

Nano- and microplastic PBK modeling in the context of human exposure and risk
assessment. Wardani et al. 2024. Environment International 186: 108504.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.108504.

Microplastic risk assessment and model development: Production and analytical models: Milling, labeling, characterization and baseline testing

April 12, 2024

Researchers / Institutional Affiliations

Milling:
NanoFract UG, Magdeburg (Germany)
Labeling:
Dow
BASF
Characterization and baseline toxicity testing:
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek. (TNO; The Netherlands)

Timeline

Q2 2022 to Q3 2024 (milling, labeling and characterization),
Q3 to Q4 2024 (baseline testing)

Additional information

Ingestion and inhalation are hypothesized to be the main routes of exposure of humans to microplastics. This project focuses on ingestion. Microplastics will be prepared by the micronization of commercial-grade forms of examples of each of the seven polymer types (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, (rigid)polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyamide-6 and polyethylene terephthalate – the latter in collaboration with PETCORE Europe). Some of these microplastics will be labelled by radioisotope¹ labels – specifically, carbon-14 – to better track them during exposure experiments. The microplastics will be characterized using a variety of analytical techniques.

Further details are available here.

¹https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389423020691

Professional Presentations:

N/A

Published Papers

N/A