Mundo de Plástico: Impacto da ingestão de plásticos e bioplásticos no intestino e saúde humana

NOVELTY/ SIGNIFICANCE This pioneer and multidisciplinary project will contribute to the understanding of potential risks of PL and Bio-PL ingestion. This work allows the identification and characterization of MNPLs and leached chemicals from daily usage PL and Bio-PL in realistic environmental degradation and will reveal potential health impact of their ingestion including on intestinal barrier and gut microbiome. This project goals are entirely novel and surpass current state of art, as there exists a deep knowledge gap regarding behavior and effects of PL/Bio-PL under realistic conditions, and concerning the rising presence of MNPLs in food chain and detrimental impact on human health(4,5). WIN-PLASTIC project is built on 4 HYPOTHESIS: 1)PL/Bio-PL under relevant environmental conditions degrade into MNPLs and release chemicals 2)The degradation products containing MNPLs and chemicals induce cyto/genotoxicity and endocrine disruption 3)Digestion process alters physicochemical properties of PL fragments and their bioavailability influencing toxicity 4)Digested PL/Bio-PL degradation products affect intestinal barrier and gut microbiome. SPECIFIC AIMS & APPROACHES i)Screen degradation potential of commercial daily use PL and Bio-PL and characterize leached compounds. Identification/characterization of PL/Bio-PL degradation products (P/BDP) under environmental realistic conditions and methanolic extracted products (MEP) will bring new insights and fulfil this knowledge gap reported by SAPEA (18). Besides, it will provide a complex database of PL and chemicals obtained products. ii)Evaluate toxicological mode of action of degradation products and compare P/BDP and MEP. This objective will allow the identification of the most cytotoxic and underlying toxicity mechanisms by assessing human cyto/genotoxicity and endocrine disruption. Comparison of toxicological effects of P/BDP and MEP will provide evidence about real potential risks of MNPL and degradation products to human health. iv)Evaluate physicochemical modifications to P/BDP and MEP as they undergo simulated digestion. Digestion of PL degradation products will allow to understand impacts on PL properties/toxicological potential by using a realistic scenario of ingestion pathway. v)assess intestinal epithelium integrity upon exposure to digested P/BDP and MEP. 3D intestinal co-culture model will be used and bring valuable insights regarding intestinal barrier damage/permeation that could trigger local/systemic inflammation and give evidence regarding P/BDP contributing to related diseases. vi)evaluate intestinal dysbiosis by assessing impacts of digested P/BDP and MEP on gut microbiome. A dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal system operating under human physiological conditions will be used to analyse and compare impacts of P/BDP on gut microbiota composition, microbial activity and impacts on P/BDP morphology. This project relies on in vitro cohesive and complete approach that will generate scientific novelty in the emergent field of fate and toxicity of PL/Bio-PL. This project’s outcomes are essential for society and circular economy, by providing fundamental quantitative information considering PL harm/hazard. Achieving this research plan, which is aligned with international strategies (GreenDeal, SDG3, 14, H2020, EU CUSP cluster in MNPs and health), is essential for risk assessment, regulatory decisions and translatability from in vitro into the human context (in line with 3R’s).