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Microplastics - The Human Cost
Summary
This PRISMA-guided review examined human health consequences of microplastic exposure, synthesizing 2018–2024 literature to identify inflammatory, endocrine-disrupting, and potential carcinogenic effects, and calling for expanded clinical and epidemiological research to quantify health risks in humans.
This review examines the emerging microplastic issue with a focus on human health consequences while shedding light on the direction in which further research needs to head according to PRISMA guidelines. Indexing services (SCOPUS and PUBMED) were utilized to select relevant studies (2018-2024), giving priority to original research, reviews, and meta-analyses. Non-English papers, those lacking full-text translation, proposals, opinions, studies on non-human samples/participants, and those showing statistically insignificant effects were excluded. Each study underwent a thorough evaluation for relevance and significance. After deduplication and application of exclusion criteria, 58 papers were shortlisted. Keywords used: “microplastic”, “human health”, “nano plastic”, “pathogens”, “bioaccumulation”, “antibiotic resistant”. It was found that microplastics are ingested and act as vectors for pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Human exposure may be linked with cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, especially in immune, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and vascular cells. Vertical transmission is implicated during pregnancy. There is a need to identify novel sample collection and processing strategies. In conclusion, the widespread presence of microplastics presents complex challenges for both the environment and human health. Urgent action is needed to address the risks posed by microplastic pollution through interdisciplinary research and collaborative efforts to develop effective mitigation strategies.
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