{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,22]],"date-time":"2026-08-22T15:26:13Z","timestamp":1787412373944,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"American Chemical Society (ACS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["82373605"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82373605"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/na","name":"Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["202201011821"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202201011821"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/na","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/na","name":"Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2024A03J0474"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024A03J0474"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/na","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/na","name":"Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2024A04J4619"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024A04J4619"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/na","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that accumulate in human liver tissue, yet their hepatotoxicity in humans remains incompletely defined. To investigate the association between occupational MPs exposure and hepatic dysfunction in humans, we recruited 141 participants from the Health Examination Centre of Guangxi Workers\u2019 Hospital, China, including 43 plastic-factory workers with \u22656 months of occupational exposure and 98 occupationally unexposed controls. An eight-item questionnaire-derived exposure risk score (0\u20138) was used to quantify MPs exposure levels. Linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for smoking, alcohol consumption, dust exposure, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity, were employed to analyze relationships between exposure (occupational status\/risk score) and liver-function markers. Exposed workers exhibited higher risk scores (1.9 \u00b1 1.1 vs 1.4 \u00b1 0.9, P = 0.013) and twice the prevalence of abnormal liver function (48.8% vs 26.5%, P = 0.013). Each one-point increase in the risk score was associated with a significant elevation in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) by 2.82 U\/L (\u03b2 = 2.82, 95% CI: 0.27\u20135.38,P = 0.031) and total bilirubin (T-Bil) by 1.05 \u03bcmol\/L (\u03b2 = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.34\u20131.76,P = 0.004). Occupational exposure independently predicted abnormal liver function (OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.64\u201310.3, P = 0.041), with longer exposure duration linked to higher AST elevation rates. These results demonstrate that occupational MPs exposure impairs liver function, providing evidence for health-risk assessment of microplastics.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1021\/envhealth.5c00716","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T12:31:52Z","timestamp":1774269112000},"page":"1664-1673","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Association between\nMicroplastic Exposure and Hepatic\nDysfunction in Humans: A Cross-Sectional Study of Occupationally Exposed\nIndividuals"],"prefix":"10.1021","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Yongjie","family":"Lu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sun Yat-sen University , , ,","place":["Guangzhou, China, 510080"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nannan","family":"Tu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sun Yat-sen University , , ,","place":["Guangzhou, China, 510080"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongcheng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sun Yat-sen University , , ,","place":["Guangzhou, China, 510080"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boya","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Youjiang Medical College for Nationalities , , , ,","place":["Baise, Guangxi, China, 533000"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guangzi","family":"Qi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Youjiang Medical College for Nationalities , , , ,","place":["Baise, Guangxi, China, 533000"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8640-4492","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Shen","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sun Yat-sen University , , ,","place":["Guangzhou, China, 510080"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yaqin","family":"Pang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Youjiang Medical College for Nationalities , , , ,","place":["Baise, Guangxi, China, 533000"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0805-1585","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Liping","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sun Yat-sen University , , ,","place":["Guangzhou, China, 510080"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"316","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit1","volume-title":"Plastics\u2500The\nFast Facts 2023","year":"2023"},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit2","volume-title":"Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental\nImpacts and Policy Options","author":"OECD.","year":"2022"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026082211085947900_cit3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1039","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.8b05297","article-title":"Are We Speaking the\nSame Language? Recommendations for a Definition and Categorization\nFramework for Plastic Debris","volume":"53","author":"Hartmann","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Sci.\nTechnol."},{"issue":"6550","key":"2026082211085947900_cit4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abg5433","article-title":"The Global Threat from\nPlastic Pollution","volume":"373","author":"MacLeod","year":"2021","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100057","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hazadv.2022.100057","article-title":"Micro(Nano)Plastics\nSources, Fate, and Effects: What We Know after Ten Years of Research","volume":"6","author":"Allen","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater. Adv."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jare.2022.09.004","article-title":"Pigment Microparticles\nand Microplastics Found in Human Thrombi Based on Raman Spectral Evidence","volume":"49","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Adv. Res."},{"issue":"30","key":"2026082211085947900_cit7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10911","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.2c07179","article-title":"Detection\nof Various Microplastics in Patients Undergoing\nCardiac Surgery","volume":"57","author":"Yang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104147","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ebiom.2022.104147","article-title":"Microplastics\nDetected in Cirrhotic Liver Tissue","volume":"82","author":"Horvatits","year":"2022","journal-title":"EBioMedicine"},{"issue":"10","key":"2026082211085947900_cit9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"586","DOI":"10.3390\/toxics10100586","article-title":"Nanoplastics and Microplastics May\nBe Damaging Our Livers","volume":"10","author":"Yin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Toxics"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026082211085947900_cit10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1011","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v30.i9.1011","article-title":"Impact of Microplastics\nand Nanoplastics on Liver Health: Current Understanding and Future\nResearch Directions","volume":"30","author":"Chiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"World J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"170962","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2024.170962","article-title":"Microplastic-Mediated\nNew Mechanism of Liver Damage:\nFrom the Perspective of the Gut-Liver Axis","volume":"919","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"issue":"4","key":"2026082211085947900_cit12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2476","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.1c03859","article-title":"Detection\nand Analysis of Microplastics in Human Sputum","volume":"56","author":"Huang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104147","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ebiom.2022.104147","article-title":"Microplastics\nDetected in Cirrhotic Liver Tissue","volume":"82","author":"Horvatits","year":"2022","journal-title":"EBioMedicine"},{"issue":"4","key":"2026082211085947900_cit14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.7326\/0003-4819-129-4-199808150-00001","article-title":"Flock Worker\u2019s\nLung: Chronic Interstitial Lung Disease in the Nylon Flocking Industry","volume":"129","author":"Kern","year":"1998","journal-title":"Ann. Int. Med."},{"issue":"6","key":"2026082211085947900_cit15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1642","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.12-0920","article-title":"Flock Worker\u2019s\nLung Disease","volume":"143","author":"Turcotte","year":"2013","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-8-21","article-title":"Reanalysis\nof Updated Mortality among Vinyl and Polyvinyl Chloride Workers: Confirmation\nof Historical Evidence and New Findings","volume":"8","author":"Gennaro","year":"2008","journal-title":"BMC\nPublic Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"2026082211085947900_cit17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.5271\/sjweh.1937","article-title":"A Mortality Study\nof Vinyl Chloride\nMonomer Workers Employed in the United Kingdom in 1940\u20131974","volume":"14","author":"Jones","year":"1988","journal-title":"Scand. J. Work, Environ. Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026082211085947900_cit18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.59.6.405","article-title":"An Increased\nStandardised Mortality Ratio for Liver Cancer among Polyvinyl Chloride\nWorkers in Taiwan","volume":"59","author":"Wong","year":"2002","journal-title":"Occup. Environ. Med."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"176153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2024.176153","article-title":"Links between\nFecal Microplastics\nand Parameters Related to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic\nLiver Disease (MASLD) in Humans: An Exploratory Study","volume":"953","author":"Schwenger","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"issue":"14","key":"2026082211085947900_cit20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20560","DOI":"10.1021\/acsami.5c02306","article-title":"Review of Techniques\nfor the Detection, Removal, and Transformation of Environmental Microplastics\nand Nanoplastics","volume":"17","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082211085947900_cit21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.21-0968","article-title":"Tackling the Ubiquity\nof Plastic Waste for Human and Planetary Health","volume":"106","author":"Veidis","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"issue":"26","key":"2026082211085947900_cit22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9782","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.3c01942","article-title":"Assessing the Release of Microplastics\nand Nanoplastics from Plastic Containers and Reusable Food Pouches:\nImplications for Human Health","volume":"57","author":"Hussain","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Sci.\nTechnol."},{"issue":"22","key":"2026082211085947900_cit23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8225","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.3c00924","article-title":"Cutting Boards: An Overlooked Source\nof Microplastics in Human Food?","volume":"57","author":"Yadav","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Sci.\nTechnol."},{"issue":"3","key":"2026082211085947900_cit24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2300582121","article-title":"Rapid Single-Particle\nChemical Imaging of Nanoplastics by SRS Microscopy","volume":"121","author":"Qian","year":"2024","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143736","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chemosphere.2024.143736","article-title":"Teabag-Derived\nMicro\/Nanoplastics (True-to-Life MNPLs) as a Surrogate for Real-Life\nExposure Scenarios","volume":"368","author":"Banaei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Chemosphere"},{"issue":"12","key":"2026082211085947900_cit26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"126002","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp7171","article-title":"Microplastic Contamination\nof Seafood Intended for Human Consumption: A Systematic Review and\nMeta-Analysis","volume":"128","author":"Danopoulos","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ. Health Perspect."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2017.11.043","article-title":"Airborne\nMicroplastics: Consequences to Human Health?","volume":"234","author":"Prata","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"144010","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.144010","article-title":"A Review of Data\nfor Quantifying Human Exposures to Micro and Nanoplastics and Potential\nHealth Risks","volume":"756","author":"Zarus","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082211085947900_cit29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"414","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.1c03924","article-title":"Analysis of\nMicroplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics\nand Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status","volume":"56","author":"Yan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ.\nSci. Technol."},{"issue":"10","key":"2026082211085947900_cit30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"900","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2309822","article-title":"Microplastics and Nanoplastics in\nAtheromas and Cardiovascular Events","volume":"390","author":"Marfella","year":"2024","journal-title":"N. Engl.\nJ. Med."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"120174","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2022.120174","article-title":"Placental Plastics\nin Young Women from General Population Correlate with Reduced Foetal\nGrowth in IUGR Pregnancies","volume":"314","author":"Amereh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46687","DOI":"10.1038\/srep46687","article-title":"Tissue Accumulation\nof Microplastics in Mice and Biomarker Responses Suggest Widespread\nHealth Risks of Exposure","volume":"7","author":"Deng","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"137795","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2025.137795","article-title":"Exploring Toxicological Pathways\nof Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Insights from Animal and Cellular\nModels","volume":"490","author":"Bridgeman","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121388","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2023.121388","article-title":"Polystyrene\nMicroplastics-Induced Macrophage Extracellular Traps Contributes to\nLiver Fibrotic Injury by Activating ROS\/TGF-\u03b2\/Smad2\/3 Signaling\nAxis","volume":"324","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131236","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2023.131236","article-title":"Polystyrene Microplastics Promote\nLiver Inflammation by Inducing the Formation of Macrophages Extracellular\nTraps","volume":"452","author":"Yin","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"issue":"42","key":"2026082211085947900_cit36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18603","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.4c06637","article-title":"Inhalation of Microplastics Induces Inflammatory Injuries in Multiple\nMurine Organs via the Toll-like Receptor Pathway","volume":"58","author":"Xia","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082211085947900_cit37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-230x-11-142","article-title":"Arsenic, Vinyl Chloride, Viral Hepatitis, and Hepatic Angiosarcoma:\nA Hospital-Based Study and Review of Literature in Taiwan","volume":"11","author":"Huang","year":"2011","journal-title":"BMC Gastroenterol."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.2307\/3429317","article-title":"Angiosarcoma\nof the Liver: A Signal\nLesion of Vinyl Chloride Exposure","volume":"41","author":"Vianna","year":"1981","journal-title":"Environ.\nHealth Perspect."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082211085947900_cit39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.54.1.14","article-title":"Angiosarcoma\nof the Liver in Great Britain in Proximity\nto Vinyl Chloride Sites","volume":"54","author":"Elliott","year":"1997","journal-title":"Occup. Environ. Med."},{"issue":"4","key":"2026082211085947900_cit40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1114","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-024-03453-1","article-title":"Bioaccumulation of Microplastics\nin Decedent Human Brains","volume":"31","author":"Nihart","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Med."},{"key":"2026082211085947900_cit41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"118099","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2025.118099","article-title":"Exposure to Microplastics during\nPregnancy and Fetal Liver Function","volume":"294","author":"Wang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ecotoxicol.\nEnviron. Saf."},{"issue":"8054","key":"2026082211085947900_cit42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586-025-00702-2","article-title":"Are Microplastics\nBad for Your Health? More Rigorous Science Is Needed","volume":"639","author":"Xu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nature"},{"issue":"20","key":"2026082211085947900_cit43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8709","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.4c00010","article-title":"Microplastic Human Dietary Uptake\nfrom 1990 to 2018 Grew across 109\nMajor Developing and Industrialized Countries but Can Be Halved by\nPlastic Debris Removal","volume":"58","author":"Zhao","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."}],"container-title":["Environment &amp; Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/envhealth.5c00716","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"unspecified"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/ehnea2\/article-pdf\/4\/8\/1664\/66262416\/envhealth.5c00716.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/ehnea2\/article-pdf\/4\/8\/1664\/66262416\/envhealth.5c00716.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,22]],"date-time":"2026-08-22T15:10:08Z","timestamp":1787411408000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/ehnea2\/article\/4\/8\/1664\/5232885\/Association-between-Microplastic-Exposure-and"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/envhealth.5c00716","relation":{},"ISSN":["2833-8278"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2833-8278","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]}}}