New Delhi, Dec 27 (NationPress) A father’s contact with microplastics may lead to metabolic dysfunctions in their children, particularly placing daughters at a heightened risk for developing diabetes, as indicated by recent animal studies.

Microplastics, defined as minute plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimeters, emerge from the degradation of consumer products and industrial waste.

Although traces of microplastics have been found in human reproductive systems, this groundbreaking study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, is the first to connect paternal exposure to microplastics with the long-term health impacts on future generations.

“Our findings unveil a new aspect of environmental health, emphasizing the role both parents' environments play in their children's health,” stated lead author Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside’s School of Medicine.

“Men who are planning to become fathers should consider minimizing their exposure to hazardous materials like microplastics to safeguard their own health and that of their future offspring,” Zhou further explained.

In this study, researchers induced metabolic disorders—such as elevated blood pressure, increased blood sugar levels, and excess body fat—in mouse models by providing them with a high-fat diet.

The results revealed that female offspring of male mice exposed to microplastics exhibited a significantly greater vulnerability to metabolic disorders compared to offspring of unexposed fathers, even when all were subjected to the same high-fat diet.

“The precise reasons for this gender-specific effect remain unclear,” Zhou noted.

“In our research, female offspring displayed diabetic traits, with noticeable upregulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-diabetic genes in their livers—genes previously associated with diabetes. Such changes were absent in male offspring,” the researcher added.

While male offspring did not show signs of diabetes, they did exhibit a slight but noticeable reduction in fat mass. In contrast, female offspring experienced decreased muscle mass alongside increased diabetes risk, according to the research team.

Zhou stressed that this study indicates the ramifications of plastic pollution extend beyond the individual exposed; it may leave a biological legacy that predisposes children to chronic health issues.