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Micro and nanoplastics pollution: Scientific progress, persistent gaps, and regulatory challenges
Summary
This review analyzed over 16,000 studies to take stock of what scientists know about tiny plastic particles (micro and nanoplastics) found throughout our environment, food, and even our bodies. The big takeaway: while we know these particles can build up in humans and affect various organs, researchers still don't fully understand how long they stay in our bodies, how they interact with other pollutants, or their long-term health effects, partly because there's no standard way to test for them yet. This matters because it means official safety guidelines are still catching up to the science, so more rigorous, consistent research is needed before we can fully understand the real risk these particles pose to human health.
Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous contaminants of emerging concern in ecosystems. To provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of MNP research, its relationship with environments, emerging issues, limitations, and challenges, this scientometric review analyzed 16,578 primary studies from the Web of Science database across all years and languages. Machine learning-based refinement was applied to extract data on objective, conclusion, biological groups, study setting, biomarker techniques, and MNP types studied. Results showed that most research has focused on the effects of MNPs, followed by identification methods, contamination, and their association with other pollutants. Fish, microorganisms, and mammals were the most studied biological groups, while experimental scenario and aquatic systems were the most common study settings. A significant concern is the behavior of these particles after absorption, especially in humans, including their distribution and elimination, as well as the main routes of exposure, biological mechanisms, and effects on different organ systems. Despite substantial scientific efforts, gaps remain regarding synergistic effects, MNPs kinetics in organisms, and large-scale environment removal. MNPs are highly diverse, and their physicochemical characteristics and concentration directly influence behavior and toxicity. There is a need for studies on secondary MNPs that simulate environmentally realistic exposures and reflect real ecological conditions. Furthermore, the lack of methodological standardization in sampling, identification, and exposure procedures hampers comparability and the establishment of standardized protocols. This review discusses the global implications of MNP contamination.