WIT Best Manuscript: Beyond Detection: Quantifying Micro/Nanoplastics Biodistribution with a Physiologically Based Toxicokinetic Modeling Approach
Registration is required for this free webinar
Hosted by the SOT Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group
Join us in hearing from two scientists as they present cutting-edge research on the biodistribution and biological effects of micro/nanoplastics in the human body!
Dr. Priscila Falagan Lotsch will begin by discussing her work on the biological effects of micro/nanoplastics on human brain cells. Plastic pollution has evolved into a global public health issue, with microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) detected in food, water, air—and human tissues, including the brain. Human exposure to MPs/NPs primarily occurs through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption, which can lead to their circulation within the body via the bloodstream. Oral ingestion is currently considered the main route of exposure, with a significant daily intake of MPs/NPs originating from plastic materials in contact with food and beverages. For example, the use of disposable drink cups may result in the annual ingestion of nearly 90,000 MPs particles when used every 4-5 days. Despite the growing awareness of widespread exposure, the health implications of these plastic particles remain largely unclear, especially those derived from real-world sources. In this presentation, Dr. Lotsch will discuss the biological effects of MPs/NPs generated from everyday consumer items—plastic cups and forks—on human primary-like brain cells. Unlike conventional studies that rely on pristine, spherical microbeads, this approach uses heterogeneous particles that better mimic environmental exposure and examines their effects across multiple biological layers, providing new insights into the potential neurotoxicity of MPs/NPs.
Following Dr. Lotsch's talk, Dr. Chi-Yun Chen, Winner of the 2025 WIT Best Manuscript Award, will discuss her research quantifying micro/nanoplastic biodistribution using the first physiologically based toxicokinetic model. Evidence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in foods and daily-use products, along with their frequent detection in the human body, has raised concerns regarding their potential health impacts via dietary ingestion. However, there is a lack of quantitative tools to simulate their bioaccumulation and tissue distribution following environmental exposure. To address this gap, Dr. Chen and her colleagues developed the first physiologically based toxicokinetic model for predicting the biodistribution of MPs and NPs in mice following oral exposure under various exposure scenarios. This model incorporated key kinetic mass transport processes, such as membrane permeability, albumin binding, and cellular uptake. They identified that the absorption rate in the gastrointestinal tract and fecal excretion rate constant had significant impacts on organ dosimetry. Their regression analysis indicated that the size-dependent dissociation constant and urine clearance rate constant sharply increased by a factor of 3 as NPs particle size increased to 1 µm. This presentation will also showcase an interactive graphical user interface that allows users to visualize simulations, explore parameter effects, and apply mouse‐derived insights to support human dietary exposure assessment using available food consumption data and MPs/NPs residue data.
Speakers:
Priscila Falagan Lotsch, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University
Chi-Yun Chen, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Florida, Winner of the 2025 WIT Best Manuscript Award