Data Gaps in Assessing the Risks of Microplastics into the Food Chain

Microplastic pollution is a significant and growing environmental problem, especially in marine and aquatic systems. There is a clear need for a better understanding of the impact of microplastic pollution on both the environment and public health, particularly concerning its potential pathways into human food sources. In 2022, we published a large critical review outlining the known risks of microplastics in the human food chain. Here, and utilising the outputs from this critical review, we summarise the known risks of microplastics into the human food chain, highlighting and focussing on key data gaps recently identified in this area. Limited research suggests an association between microplastics and pathogenic organisms, raising concerns about potential entry into the food chain. However, the consequence of this and comparison to non-plastic vectors have been insufficiently studied to create a clear picture of the risk posed to public health. Data and carefully controlled studies comparing microplastics to non-plastic particles and quantifying dietary intake are in general scarce in the published literature. The risk posed to public health remains unclear due to significant data gaps and insufficient research. However, by addressing these deficiencies, we are able to better understand these issues.