Scientists warn that tiny nanoplastics, smaller than one micrometer, are contaminating farm animals through environmental exposure, with the potential to accumulate inside their cells and impact their health and reproduction.

Research from the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology and the University of Udine shows that nanoplastics can penetrate the cells of cattle and pigs, disrupting cellular functions and possibly impairing fertility and muscle development.

Farm animals ingest nanoplastics from contaminated soil, water, and feed containing plastic residues, which can then transfer into meat, milk, and eggs, raising concerns about potential risks to human health.

This emerging research highlights that plastic pollution is not only an environmental issue but also a biological threat that could threaten food safety, animal health, and human well-being, emphasizing the urgent need for further investigation into long-term effects.

Detecting nanoplastics within animal tissues remains challenging due to current measurement limitations, which raises concerns about the true extent of contamination in livestock and food products.

Exposure to nanoplastics has been linked to decreased survival rates in cow ovarian cells and slowed growth in pig muscle cells, indicating potential impacts on reproduction and meat quality, even though immediate cell death or inflammation was not observed.