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Nanoplastics in Drinking Water: Emerging Evidence on Renal Toxicity, Systemic Health Effects, and Public Health Implications
Summary
Tiny plastic particles too small to see are showing up in bottled water, tap water, and other drinking sources — and this review of existing studies suggests they may cause inflammation, cell damage, and kidney problems, while also potentially affecting the heart, brain, hormones, and immune system. The research is still early (mostly lab and environmental studies, not large human studies), but the consistency of findings across studies is a signal that scientists need to keep investigating how much of this stuff we're drinking and what it's doing to our bodies long-term.
Nanoplastics have emerged as a growing environmental and public health concern due to their increasing presence in drinking water systems and their potential biological effects on human health. Recent advances in analytical technologies have revealed that nanoplastic particles are widely distributed in bottled water, tap water, freshwater sources, and water distribution networks, suggesting that human exposure may be more extensive than previously recognized. This review aimed to analyze current scientific evidence regarding the occurrence of nanoplastics in drinking water and their potential association with kidney disease and systemic biological damage. A comprehensive review of scientific literature published in international databases was conducted, focusing on environmental occurrence, exposure pathways, toxicological mechanisms, renal outcomes, and systemic health effects. The findings indicate that nanoplastics may induce oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, endothelial injury, and immune dysregulation. These biological mechanisms have been associated with renal alterations including tubular injury, oxidative renal damage, inflammatory responses, fibrosis, and disturbances in filtration processes. In addition, evidence suggests that nanoplastics may affect cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, reproductive, and immune systems through interconnected pathological pathways. The review also highlights the relevance of this issue in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador, where environmental contamination and chronic disease burdens coexist. Although current evidence is largely derived from experimental and environmental studies, the widespread occurrence of nanoplastics and the consistency of reported toxicological mechanisms support the need for continued investigation. Future research should prioritize standardized detection methods, epidemiological studies, biomonitoring programs, and interdisciplinary approaches to better understand the implications of chronic nanoplastic exposure and to support evidence-based public health policies.