Environmental microplastics, cadmium, and digestion: how they affect health and safety
Official title: Role of Environmental Weathering and Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Bioavailability and Toxicity of Microplastic and Cadmium Mixtures - A Platform for Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Training Ph 2
Funded at Oklahoma State University Stillwater · NIH-11361366 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how tiny plastics and cadmium in our food and water interact in the body and what that could mean for our health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma State University Stillwater NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stillwater, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $554,848 |
| NIH project number | 1R15ES038676-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11361366 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with environmental exposure concerns or health professionals seeking to understand exposure pathways and mitigation strategies.
✕Less likely to help
Persons with no potential exposure to environmental microplastics or cadmium may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at Oklahoma State University are studying how microplastics and cadmium behave during digestion and how aging plastics might change their effects in the human body. They are engaging undergraduate students and training new scientists to explore how MNPs accumulate in organs and how digestion and UV aging influence this process. The work includes lab studies that mimic human digestion, examine adsorption of cadmium, and test toxicity in cellular systems. The goal is to understand potential health risks and pathways to mitigate exposure for people like students, workers, and consumers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to better guidelines for reducing exposure to harmful plastics and metals in everyday environments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed that aging plastics alter adsorption and release of toxic metals, suggesting this approach could reveal modifiable factors to reduce risk.
Where this research is happening
-
Oklahoma State University Stillwater
Stillwater, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gonzalez Estrella, Jorge — Oklahoma State University Stillwater
- Study coordinator: Gonzalez Estrella, Jorge
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.