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Assessing toxicological risk of nanoplastics contaminants in food and feed from ingestion pathway to human diseases
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This review examines how nanoplastics, which are tiny fragments smaller than 0.1 micrometers, enter the human food chain and may pose health risks. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can cross biological membranes more easily than larger microplastics, potentially reaching organs and accumulating over time. The study highlights the need for better detection methods and risk assessments to understand the long-term health implications of nanoplastic ingestion through food and beverages.
The extensive use of plastic without an effective management system is linked to significant environmental pollution issues. The fragmentation of various types of plastic waste leads to the formation of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs). NPs, measuring less than 0.1 μm pose a latent danger to the human food chain caused by the ability to traverse biological membranes than MPs, potentially leading to various chronic diseases. The widespread distribution of NPs across diverse environmental matrices and their subsequent infiltration into food and feed chains precipitates various emerging health concerns. NPs contaminate food production systems and leach from plastic packaging, infiltrating organisms at various trophic levels. Seafood, processed foods, and drinking water serve as vectors for absorption and accumulation in human tissues. The pervasive contamination pathway poses substantial risks to human health through multiple exposure routes, primarily ingestion. It can lead to cytotoxicity, inflammation, genotoxicity, and apoptosis. This review summarizes the implications of NPs exposure that triggers various diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), kidney dysfunction, liver disease, heart problems, brain disorders, reproductive issues, and cancer. Currently, no established method exists to treat NPs that humans may have already ingested. Hence, it is urgent to mitigate the harmful effects of NPs through the development and implementation of innovative, efficient, and sustainable environmental decontamination strategies. This discussion highlights several advanced remediation techniques that can effectively reduce the toxicity of NPs in environmental systems, thus mitigating their associated risks.
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Potential Health Impact of Environmentally Released Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Food Production Chain: Experiences from Nanotoxicology
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This review assesses the potential for micro- and nanoplastics to enter the human food chain, drawing on evidence from studies of food production and related biological systems. Researchers found that while larger microplastics are unlikely to be absorbed by the human body, nanoplastics may be small enough to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues. The study highlights that much remains unknown about real-world human exposure levels and calls for more research into the health implications of these tiny particles in food.
Human health concerns regarding microplastics in the aquatic environment - From marine to food systems
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This review traces the journey of microplastics from marine environments into the human food supply, examining how they contaminate seafood, drinking water, and the food chain. Particles smaller than 150 micrometers can pass through the intestinal wall and reach other organs, where they may cause chronic toxicity including cardiovascular, liver, and brain damage. The authors emphasize that nanoplastics are especially concerning because their small size allows them to penetrate deeper into the body.
Unintended human ingestion of nanoplastics and small microplastics through drinking water, beverages, and food sources
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This review examines how people unintentionally consume nanoplastics and small microplastics through drinking water, beverages, and food. Researchers found that smaller plastic particles may be more significant for human exposure since they are more likely to cross biological barriers, but note that reliable detection methods for the smallest particles are still being developed.
Micro- and nanoplastics: origin, sources of intake and impact on human health (literature review)
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This literature review synthesizes mechanisms by which micro- and nanoplastics interact with living organisms, examining their physicochemical properties, routes of human exposure, and documented health effects across multiple organ systems.
Potential risk assessment and toxicological impacts of nano/micro-plastics on human health through food products
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This review examined the potential risks and toxicological effects of nano- and microplastics on human health through food products, identifying key contamination sources in the food chain and their harmful impacts on the body.
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