ReviewNephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association2026
Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the kidneys.
Review in Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Human Diet: Sources of Exposure, Bioavailability, Toxicokinetics, and Systemic Health Effects.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Plant functional traits, but not soil abiotic properties, mediate the legacy effects of microplastics on plant community assembly.Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Plastics are hydrophobic carbon polymers with a half-life of ∼500 years. The widespread production and environmental accumulation of plastics pose significant toxicity concerns. Humans are routinely exposed to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), which can enter rate the bloodstream and reach various organs, including the kidneys.Here, we review research on nephrotoxic effects of plastics and the underlying mechanisms. The results of several studies of kidneys in mammals and kidney cells from humans suggest that MNPs induce renal toxicity. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be characterized in detail, the current body of evidence suggests that MNPs promote the production of reactive oxygen species and thus trigger local (renal) and systemic inflammatory responses. These processes enhance cytotoxicity and may drive MNP-induced kidney damage.This toxicity results in histopathological changes in renal tissues (including glomerular and tubular damage and fibrosis) and modifications in key biomarkers of renal function (such as the glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, and the blood urea nitrogen level). Moreover, MNPs have been shown to induce cardiovascular damage, which may contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD)-potentially via the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptors. Notably, the nephrotoxic effects of MNPs appear to be exacerbated by co-exposure to other environmental contaminants and uremic toxins.CKD can impair the kidneys' ability to eliminate MNP. Furthermore, dialysed patients are substantially exposed to MNPs during dialysis sessions, which potentially compounds their vulnerability. With a view to better understanding the effects of MNPs on renal health and the impact of CKD and dialysis on levels of exposure to plastics, further studies are essential.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.