21/07/2026
New Publication Alert!
We're excited to share our latest research: "Toxicological Impact of Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastic-Contaminated Food: Evidence from a Mouse Model," published in Emerging Contaminants (Q1, IF: 8.2)
Microplastics are no longer just an ocean problem. Now they're showing up in our food. But how much harm can they actually cause once ingested? Our study set out to answer that.
Over 13 weeks, we fed mice diets containing different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) of PVC microplastics and tracked the effects on their health. The results were striking:
⚠️ Higher concentrations (10–15%) significantly slowed growth and caused liver enlargement
🩸 Red blood cells became abnormally shaped
🧬 A key antioxidant enzyme dropped significantly, signaling oxidative stress
🫁 Tissue damage was observed in the liver (vascular congestion, cell vacuolization), kidney (glomerular atrophy), and intestine (altered crypt structure)
Our study showed that under long-term exposure, even larger-sized microplastic particles (125 µm) can accumulate in intestinal tissue.
These findings offer some of the first mammalian evidence of how PVC microplastics can disrupt growth, blood health, and organ function with direct relevance to human food safety.
This work is the thesis research of Mahzabin Muzahid Labi and was supervised by Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Dr. Mahmuda Begum, and Dr. Mohammad Firoj Jaman. This project was conducted through a joint collaboration between the Molecular Systematics, Ecology and Genotoxicity Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, and the Zoology Section, Biological Research Division, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). The project was funded by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and funding was awarded to Dr. Mizanur Rahman and Dr. Mahmuda Begum.
We are thankful to our collaborators from BCSIR, Dr. Nahid Sultana and Ms. Shanzida Islam, and Mr. Nasir Uddin from our lab.
As microplastic contamination in food systems becomes an urgent global issue, we hope this research contributes to stronger food safety standards and greater public awareness.
📄 Read the full paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/410379617_Toxicological_Impact_of_Polyvinyl_Chloride_Microplastic-Contaminated_Food_Evidence_from_a_Mouse_Model
