Persistent organic pollutants: Neurotoxic mechanisms and insights from organoid models.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) pose significant global environmental health risks due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and long-range transport. Exposure to POPs has been linked to a range of neurological disorders, including cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and neurodegenerative diseases. This review examines the neurotoxic effects of various POP categories, such as flame retardants, pesticides, plasticizers, and preservatives, and explores the underlying molecular mechanisms. It also highlights the potential of brain organoids as a more physiologically relevant experimental platform. Although organoid models offer improved translational value, their capacity to fully replicate the complexity of the human nervous system remains limited, necessitating further technical refinement and interdisciplinary collaboration. The integration of organoid technology into environmental toxicology is anticipated to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of neurotoxicity assessment, thereby supporting the development of robust health risk evaluation frameworks and informing evidence-based environmental policy.