Funding to Support Research On How Microplastics Impact Health During Pregnancy
September 26, 2024 – Blue Hill, Maine – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a joint competitive grant to the Shaw Institute and New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine. The grant, totaling $400,000, will support a two-year study that will explore how microplastics impact the health of mother and fetus during pregnancy, while also exploring potential sources of the plastic contamination.
$70,000 of the funding has been allocated to the Shaw Institute, further expanding their push into studying how plastics impact human health, wildlife and the ecosystems that we all share. This will complement ongoing analyses of placenta tissue using their state-of-the-art Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (PY-GC/MS) instrument in their new laboratory to understand the mass of plastic within the placenta samples.
“We’re honored to be a trusted source of science for the NIH and our investigative partners at NYU,” said Dr. Charlie Rolksy, Executive Director and Senior Research Scientist at the Shaw Institute. “We know from previous studies that plastic has been detected in the placentas of pregnant women, but this joint investigation will take this a step further by incorporating life histories of all the participants and also establishing correlations with harmful chemicals typically associated with plastic.”
Microplastics are essentially everywhere, with exposure coming via the air we breathe, drinking water, soil, clothing, packaging, commonly consumed foods, and personal care products. Despite how prevalent they are, little is known regarding the extent to which the general U.S. pregnant population is exposed to microplastics. Rolsky says the end result of this study will be a far more concise understanding of potential sources of exposure, impact of plastic pollution on pregnant women, and how plastic contamination could ultimately affect the growth and development of the baby once it’s born.
Rolsky will be leading the efforts of the Shaw Institute, while Dr. Whitney Cowell, from NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine (part of NYU Langone), will be the lead on behalf of NYU.
“This collaboration will propel our understanding of how to measure microplastics, opening the door for future opportunities to investigate health impacts, including during the sensitive prenatal period,” said Dr. Cowell.
The study could lead to additional funding from NIH, for both organizations, if the findings call for it. Shaw will also continue on additional plastics-based research projects with Harvard University and Arizona State University. They have also applied for a Maine Sea Grant with local oyster farmer Abby Barrows, in order to examine if a plastic-free farm equates to plastic-free oysters.
To learn more about the Shaw Institute, visit ShawInstitute.org. To learn more about the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, visit Med.NYU.edu.
About Shaw Institute
Shaw Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit scientific research organization based in Blue Hill, Maine. Established nearly 35 years ago, the Institute’s mission is to work to discover and expose environmental threats to the health and wellbeing of people, wildlife and the environments we share. Our research on plastics, ocean pollution, marine mammal health, toxic chemicals, and climate change has informed public opinion and influenced public policy, impacting millions of people in Maine, the U.S. and worldwide.
About NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health is a world-class integrated academic medical center and one of the largest health systems in the Northeast—stretching across six inpatient facilities and over 300 locations throughout the New York City region and in Florida. Guided by their purpose, to deliver the best outcomes in patient care, education, and science, their more than 51,000 staff members provide life changing care, innovative medical education, and groundbreaking advances in research.
About the National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH, is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
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