Can nanoplastics from food containers damage the placenta during pregnancy?

What's actually in it

Styrofoam takeout containers, plastic cups, and food packaging made from polystyrene shed nanoparticles into food and drinks. These particles are small enough to cross from your gut into your bloodstream. During pregnancy, they can reach the placenta, the organ responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Toxics exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene nanoparticles and examined what happened to their placentas. The nanoparticles disrupted oxidative phosphorylation, the process cells use to produce energy. Without enough energy, placental cells couldn't grow and divide normally.

The result was impaired placental development. The placentas were structurally damaged, with changes to the tissue layers that transfer nutrients from mother to baby. A poorly developed placenta can't do its job, which means the baby gets less oxygen and fewer nutrients during the most critical period of growth.

The researchers traced the damage to specific mitochondrial pathways. Mitochondria are the power generators inside every cell, and polystyrene nanoparticles essentially short-circuited them. The cells produced more damaging free radicals and less usable energy.

Pregnant women can reduce polystyrene exposure by skipping Styrofoam containers, avoiding hot food and drinks in polystyrene cups, and storing leftovers in glass or stainless steel instead of plastic.