Rutgers received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the impact of micronanoplastics on the digestive system.

The byproduct of environmental and industrial processes, micro- and nano-scale plastic particles and fibers increasingly contaminate the environment. These plastics — now found in our food, air and water — are a potential health hazard. “This is a concern of epic proportions, especially because we know so little about micronanoplastics’ impact on our health,” said Philip Demokritou, the Henry Rutgers Chair and Professor of Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering at Rutgers Health and principal investigator of the project.

With little existing research on micronanoplastics, there is a need for data based on environmentally relevant micronanoplastics and their potential health implications. This five-year NIH-funded project aims to assess the micronanoplastics impact within the human digestive system and other organs, especially for susceptible populations with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Researchers will look at the potential health hazards of ingested micronanoplastics on the intestine and other organs and tissues as well as the cellular process behind this. The research also will examine the roles that plastic type and chemistry (e.g., polyethylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate), size and other properties play in their uptake and toxicity. They also will look at the impact of micronanoplastics on intestinal inflammation. To read the full story.