Ferraboschi Ilaria, Canzolino Francesca, Ferrari Elena, Sissa Cristina, Masino Matteo, Rizzi Matteo, Bussolati Simona, Basini Giuseppina, Bertini Simone, Grolli Stefano, Ramoni Roberto, Di Ianni Francesco, Vetere Alessandro, Bigliardi Enrico
Department of Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica ed il Magnetismo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IMEM-CNR), Parma, Italy.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 2;20(4):e0320694. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320694. eCollection 2025.
The present study aimed to detect microplastics in feline placentas and fetuses in the early stage of pregnancy. For this study, 8 pregnant queens were evaluated. A standardized protocol for the digestion of biological matter was used, as well as a plastic-free approach for sample collection and manipulation. Microplastics were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy, with the aim of identifying their composition. Four of eight animals were contaminated, with a total of 19 microplastics detected in both fetal and placental samples. Specifically, fetuses from cats 4 and 7 were contaminated, as were the placentas from cats 5, 6, and 7. This work demonstrates that microplastics can accumulate in feline placentas even at the early stage of pregnancy. Moreover, preliminary results of the presence of microplastics in feline fetuses are shown, suggesting that microplastics can cross the placental barrier.
本研究旨在检测妊娠早期猫胎盘和胎儿中的微塑料。在本研究中，对8只怀孕母猫进行了评估。采用了标准化的生物物质消化方案，以及无塑料的样本采集和处理方法。通过拉曼光谱法对微塑料进行了研究，目的是确定其成分。8只动物中有4只受到污染，在胎儿和胎盘样本中总共检测到19个微塑料。具体而言，4号和7号猫的胎儿受到污染，5号、6号和7号猫的胎盘也受到污染。这项工作表明，即使在妊娠早期，微塑料也能在猫胎盘中积累。此外，还展示了猫胎儿中存在微塑料的初步结果，表明微塑料可以穿过胎盘屏障。
