Microplastics in our diet: A growing concern for human health
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs), particles smaller than 5 mm, are widely distributed in the environment, raising concerns about their long-term human health impact. MPs can enter the human food chain through various sources, including drinking water, salt, plant-based derived products, animal-based derived products (especially seafood), alcoholic beverages, and packaged food. Once in the human body, MPs have been detected in various biological tissues and secretions, such as feces, blood, semen, breastmilk, thrombi, colon, atheroma, and liver, highlighting their capacity for bioaccumulation. The most commonly identified polymers include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), along with others such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This review presents a perspective on underexplored food contamination by MPs, discussing the presence of these plastic fragments in human biological systems and discussing in vivo studies that investigate their potential health risks. Emerging evidence links MPs to inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and cellular dysfunction, potentially contributing to gastrointestinal disorders, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and cardiovascular risks. Key knowledge gaps persist for understanding health impacts under environmental relevant conditions, particularly regarding long-term exposure, particle size effects, chemical composition, and interactions with environmental…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future
- Nano/micro-plastic, an invisible threat getting into the brain
- Emerging contaminants antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics in the environment: Introduction to 21 review articles published in CREST during 2018–2022
- Water Resources and Sustainable Development
- Nano- and microplastics in the workplace
- Water Enclosure and World-Literature: New Perspectives on Hydro-Power and World-Ecology
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.