Micro- and nanoplastics have long been present everywhere in our environment. Now a new study shows that the tiny plastic particles can also penetrate the cells of farm animals such as cattle and pigs. Even low concentrations of the nanoplastic were sufficient for this. The study provides initial evidence that plastic pollution could also endanger the health of our farm animals and the quality of animal products.
An empty yogurt cup lies in a field. Sun, rain and wind take their toll and the plastic slowly begins to decompose. Soft layers dissolve, hard parts break off or flake off piece by piece. In the end, tiny plastic particles are left behind – so-called micro- and nanoplastics. From the field, these invisible residues end up in the soil, rivers and seas and finally, via the food chain, into the bodies of animals and people. Plastic residues remain in the environment for decades to centuries.
Bovine and pig cells in the test
In contrast to microplastics (1 µm – 5 mm), nanoplastics are around a thousand times smaller and therefore significantly more difficult to research. To date, there are hardly any reliable methods for detecting the tiny particles in humans or animals. However, researchers assume that the nanoplastic can accumulate in tissues and cells and possibly impair their function. Previous studies have focused primarily on microplastics in marine animals, fish, birds or insects and have shown some significant damage. But so far little is known about the effects on farm animals – i.e. animals that are directly part of the human food chain.
In order to close the research gap, researchers led by Francesca Corte Pause from the University of Udine in Italy have now investigated whether and how nanoplastics can get into the cells of pigs and cattle. To do this, they used cultures of granulosa cells from cattle, which play a central role in reproduction, and myoblasts from pigs, which produce muscle tissue. For the actual test, the researchers added nanoplastics in the form of 100 nanometer polystyrene beads in various concentrations to the nutrient medium of the cell cultures. To make them visible, some of these beads were mixed with fluorescent markers.
Nanoplastic absorption even at the lowest concentrations
It turned out that the researchers found that nanoplastic particles can actually penetrate the cells of cattle and pigs. Even low concentrations of just five micrograms of nanoplastic per milliliter led to microscopically visible deposits in the test cells. “When we saw that nanoplastics were penetrating the cells, we knew that this could have far-reaching consequences,” explains co-author Anja Baufeld from the Research Institute for Livestock Biology (FBN) in Dummersdorf. In fact, the survival rate of the cells decreased measurably after ingesting the nanoplastic, as the team observed. “Since we still know far too little about nanoplastics and detecting them is difficult, our results are particularly important in order to be able to better assess the risks.” However, it is difficult to assess what these are based on cell cultures alone.
Based on their results, the researchers suspect that the incorporation of nanoplastics into bovine granulosa cells could impair the animals’ fertility. The nanoplastics in the pigs’ muscle cells could, in turn, end up on our plates with the pork – and thus also in our bodies. “Our research shows that nanoplastics are not only an environmental problem, but could also potentially have direct consequences for the health of farm animals,” says Baufeld.
Further research needed
In the opinion of Corte Pause and her team, it is therefore necessary to further investigate the possible consequences of micro and nanoplastic pollution – especially on our farm animals. “These initial indications make it clear how important it is to research plastic pollution even more intensively in order to be able to assess possible risks for both animals and people at an early stage,” says Baufeld.
Source: Research Institute for Livestock Biology (FBN), specialist article: Science of The Total Environment, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179378