We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Human Exposures to Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how humans are exposed to microplastics through food, water, air, and consumer products. Researchers discuss the various pathways by which microplastics enter the human body and review evidence of their detection in organs including the liver, lungs, colon, and placenta, as well as in blood, breast milk, and saliva. The study highlights the need for biomarker-based approaches to better understand the health implications of microplastic accumulation in human tissues.
Attributing to the contribution of plastics to enhancing the food safety as well as manufacturing disposable medical equipment, the usage of plastics and the subsequent generation of plastic wastes are enhancing day-by-day. Recently, due to the technological advancements, the traces of microplastics (MPs) with size <5 mm have been found in seawater, groundwater, tap water, soil, air, sediment, and various food items, including seafood, salt, bottled water, etc., causing numerous health effects to human beings. In the present chapter, the possible pathways of human exposure to MPs as well as the toxic effects of MPs on human beings have been comprehensively discussed. Also, a brief discussion on the use of biomarkers to elucidate the MP toxicity has been incorporated. Finally, a few case studies on the detection and concentration of MPs in human bodies, including liver, colon, spleen, lung, and placenta tissues, hand and face skin, hair, feces, and saliva, breastmilk, blood, and placenta samples have been included.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in the Human Food Chain: Exposure and Health Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review documents how microplastics have permeated the human food chain and are now detected in human tissues including lungs, liver, placenta, and breast milk, examining exposure routes through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact and the potential health consequences of this ubiquitous contamination.
The Impact of Microplastics on Human Health: a Comprehensive Review
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review summarizes how microplastics — found in air, water, and food — enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and have been detected in organs including the lungs, liver, kidneys, placenta, and brain. Microplastic exposure has been associated with respiratory disorders, gut inflammation, reproductive toxicity, immune dysfunction, and potential neurological effects.
Microplastics in humans: Current evidence of presence and their role in organ toxicity
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review examined how microplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, dermal absorption, and maternal-fetal transfer, summarizing documented evidence of MP presence and toxic effects across multiple organs.
Impact of microplastics on human health: exposure mechanisms and potential health implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, drinking water, and inhaled air, and summarizes what is known about their potential health effects. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in human stool samples, blood, and lung tissue, and may carry harmful chemicals and pathogens. The study highlights that while evidence of direct health impacts is still emerging, the widespread presence of microplastics in everyday exposure pathways warrants serious attention.
Microplastics and Human Health: Exposure Pathways, Contributive Roles, and Mitigation Strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes over 900 published studies on how microplastics enter the human body, mainly through eating, breathing, and skin contact. It found evidence that microplastics can travel through the body to organs including the gut, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain, and placenta, though effective ways to manage plastic pollution remain undeveloped.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.