The influence of tampon nanoplastic particles on gynecological mucosal barriers

PROJECT SUMMARY It was recently reported that tampons, a menstrual hygiene product used by over half the population of people who menstruate, release up to 17 billion nanoplastic particles per use. However, neither the chemical characteristics of the tampon nanoplastic particles nor the physiological effects of these particles coming in direct

contact with gynecological tissues have been identified. Therefore, the overall goal of this application is to define both the chemical characteristics of tampon nanoplastic particles as well as their downstream physiological effects on the gynecological tissue, Typically, the mucosal epithelial barriers of the vagina and cervix serve as

protective barriers against infection and disease, yet there is currently very little known about how nanoplastics penetrate these barriers, which could potentially induce inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysregulated hormonal signaling, which cumulatively can lead to cervical and endometrial cancer, vaginosis, endometriosis,

and impaired fertility. Furthermore, there is growing appreciation that exposure to biologically relevant environments can cause a corona of biological components to form around nanoparticles, altering the surface morphology and enhancing the internalization of plastic particles. Thus, our overarching hypothesis is that

proteins found in menstrual blood adsorb to the surface of the nano-plastic particles shed from tampons, forming a biological corona that enables them to penetrate and disrupt cervical and vaginal mucosal membranes. This hypothesis with be explored by pursuing the following aims: 1. Characterize the surface chemistry of tampon

nanoplastics shed in a biologically relevant environment; and 2. Determine the role of the biological coronas on tampon nanoplastics' ability to penetrate cervical and vaginal mucosal barriers and detrimentally affect downstream signaling cascades. The proposed research is significant, because it will provide a comprehensive

overview of the biophysical interactions between tampon nanoplastics, the physiological environment they encounter, and the gynecological tissue they come in contact with. Absent such insights, people who menstruate will continue to have insufficient information on the potential detrimental health effects of tampon use.