Ludmila Rosa Bergsten Torralba

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to increased use of protective materials among healthcare workers and the general population, resulting in a rise in health issues such as allergies. Glove types, such as latex, nitrile, and vinyl, are notable sources of cutaneous reactions; however, most of their cytotoxic effects are considered negligible. Given the significant exposure of healthcare professionals to gloves and the absence of mandatory toxicological testing to ensure the quality of these medical products under Brazilian legislation, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of three glove-types: natural rubber latex (NRL) surgical, nitrile, and vinyl medical examination gloves, using mouse fibroblast L-929 cell cultures. Four methods were employed based on guidelines from the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), Brazilian Pharmacopoeia (BP), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Organization Standardization (ISO). All latex gloves tested would be considered unsafe for use, exhibiting at least moderate cytotoxicity in the agar diffusion, direct contact and elution test methods. In contrast, 75% of nitrile gloves and 67% of vinyl gloves were considered safe, showing mild cytotoxicity in the agar diffusion method, which proved to be the most effective for differentiating cytotoxicity among glove materials. Both nitrile and vinyl gloves showed significantly lower cytotoxicity than latex gloves in the promising Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) method. These findings support the recommendation for mandatory inclusion of the agar diffusion and elution test methods as regulatory quality control assays for evaluating glove cytotoxicity.

Pirimiphos-methyl (PMM) and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) are commonly used in crops to combat pests. This study examined their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in various cell lines (RAW 264-7, H9C2, HepG2, HEK 293) across different exposure times. HepG2 cells showed heightened sensitivity to the combination (MIX) at 100 µg/mL after 48 and 72 hours, with no genotoxic effects observed in both HepG2 and mouse whole blood cells. HEK 293 cells experienced cytotoxicity at higher concentrations of PMM, PBO, and MIX (50 and 100 µg/mL) after 48 and 72 hours. H9C2 cells exhibited the most pronounced cytotoxicity with MIX at 100 µg/mL at all time points evaluated. RAW 264-7 cells were sensitive to high concentrations (50 and 100 µg/mL) after 72 hours. Interestingly, non-toxic concentrations of MIX (5 µg/mL) inhibited 100% of nitric oxide production and significantly reduced TNF and IL-6 levels in RAW 264-7 cells stimulated with LPS. Higher concentrations of PMM and PBO individually also reduced TNF and IL-6 production, suggesting immunomodulatory effects at low concentrations without associated toxicity. These results underscore the importance of considering both concentration and exposure time when assessing toxicity, especially in chronic exposure scenarios common in real biological environments.

The increasing production of plastic products has raised concerns about environmental impacts related to microplastic formation, which harms ecosystems and human health. This systematic review aims to present the concentration of microplastics in commercially important bony fish and discuss the impacts on animal health and the possibility of these contaminants reaching the end consumer. The PICO methodology was used, and 517 articles were retrieved from four databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus); after selecting articles that complement the research objective, 70 articles were used to compose this review. According to the results, line-shaped microplastics, polypropylene, and polystyrene polymers were the most frequently identified in the articles. Additionally, the effects of microplastics on animal health, including false satiety and physical injuries, as well as risks to human health, such as epithelial inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell contamination, were discussed. Understanding the concentration of microplastics in commercially important bony fish is necessary for protecting human health and maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. It is necessary to adopt legislative measures for proper plastic disposal.

Microplastics (MPs) are solid microscopic fragments of plastic materials and are widely distributed in water, soil, air, and biota. MPs cause damage and accumulate in animals such as aquatic organisms, including edible fish, and reach human systems through the food chain (biomagnification). MPs have been found in human blood and lungs, and food exposure requires particular priority. The comprehension of mechanisms by which MPs enter the human body is still scarce. Thus, considering the indirect exposure of food to MPs and the potential to affect human health, this chapter will present current knowledge about the main MP characteristics, levels, and the ways they affect human health through food, especially seafood consumption.