Professor from St. Mary's University studies health effects of microplastics

August 23, 2024

A four-year NIH-funded project to understand how exposure to a mixture of microplastics and environmental pollutants affects health.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Saint Mary's University nearly $700,000 to understand how microplastics – plastic pieces smaller than 5 millimeters in size – affect human health when mixed with everyday toxins.

The grant amounted to $669,951 over four years. Dr. Jennifer HarrAssociate Professor of Biological Sciences Forensic Science Program of Faculty of Science and Engineering Technologyis funding research into how exposure to environmental chemicals, such as pesticides and plastic additives, combined with microplastics, can damage DNA, development and health.

This work is NematodesThese tiny insects serve as models for human development, health and disease.

Microplastics come from plastic fragments that break down into smaller and smaller pieces, and scientists report that they can now be found in the human body and organs, breast milk and blood.

“We acknowledge that there are some levels of toxins present, and we think that's OK under normal, safe exposure,” Herr said, “but when these microplastics absorb or carry toxins onto their surfaces, they essentially become carriers for these chemicals, and the combined health effects are unknown.”

Student researchers from a variety of backgrounds, Biological Sciences, Chemical and Environmental Science is collaborating with Haar. Saint Mary's University fosters transformative, hands-on learning through research and creative scholarly activity for faculty and students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The grant will cover equipment, student stipends, a full-time research assistant, and travel to conferences to share research findings.

“Although there are classes and associated labs, we are beginning to better understand that students who engage in experiential learning rather than simply following a procedure are better able to connect and apply what they learn in the classroom,” she said.

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant no. R16GM150406.

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