Association between long-term exposure of polystyrene microplastics and exacerbation of seizure symptoms: Evidence from multiple approaches

作者：Ruijin Xie, Xue Xiao, Wenjing Zhao, Yanqi Zhong, Dongqin Wu, Jianrui Dou, Yi Zhao, Yufan Luo, Yingsi Cao, Yuanjin Chang, Wei Xiao, Yuxi Ge, Kaiyue Zhang, Xianhui Deng, Peiwen Wang, Benneng Jin, Shudong Hu, Yu Wu, Yueying Liu · 发表于：Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118741 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Microplastics and Plastic Pollution、Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications、Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles originating from both commercial product manufacturing and the degradation of larger plastic materials. These particles pose significant risks to environmental and animal health. A growing body of evidence highlights plastic packaging as a major source of microplastic exposure in children, who are particularly vulnerable to these contaminants compared to adults [1] . Despite growing concern, research on the effects of microplastics on human health remains limited, particularly regarding the potential consequences of long-term microplastic exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between the neurotoxic effects of prolonged polystyrene microplastic exposure and seizure symptoms, with a special emphasis on the interplay between inflammation and ferroptosis. We hypothesize that long-term ingestion of polystyrene microplastics may disrupt the gut microbiota and induce systemic inflammation, which could subsequently trigger ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons and exacerbate seizure symptoms. Our research contributes significantly to the existing body of knowledge in three key areas. Our investigation makes significant contributions in three key areas: Firstly, by integrating observational pilot cohort studies and interpretable machine learning techniques, we demonstrate that long-term environmental microplastic exposure exposure may affect the independent inflammation-related risk factors of seizures and the...