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Review study of microplastics Health and environmental Effects
Summary
This review synthesizes two decades of research on microplastic exposure and health effects, reporting an estimated human intake of 39,000–52,000 particles per year and documenting microplastic detection across numerous tissues including lung, blood, placenta, and testis, while highlighting persistent data gaps in understanding downstream biological impacts.
Background: Recently microplastics are environmentally concerned in the world. Basically, microplastics refer to any synthetic insoluble solid particles with an even or uneven shape and with a diameter equal to or less than 5 mm. The main concern about microplastics is the unknown possible effects and hazards they can have on ecosystems and human health, which several uncertainties are related to these effects. So microplastics can cause different adverse effects such as mental and reproductive problems, intestinal damage, immune and neurotoxicity disorders. Also, chemicals and microorganisms accompanying with microplastics could impose unpredictable effects on human health. Materials and Methods: The current study is a comprehensive review with an environmental and human health attitude. This study intended to recognize and highlight the importance, origin, mechanism and effects of microplastics on different tissues of the human body and different parts of the environment for interested students and researchers in this field by using the review of the studies carried out and published in the period of 2000 to 2024 and in the various database such as Google Scholar, Elsevier, Scopus, ResearchGate, PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct and Springer. Results: Based on various studies, the average intake of microplastics in humans is estimated to be around 39,000 to 52,000 particles per year based on food consumption and microplastics with different colors and sizes from 800 nm to 5 mm have been detected in several human samples including lung, breast milk, liver, spleen, placenta, blood, sputum, large intestine, saliva, semen, urine and testis. Conclusion: Despite several research carried out about microplastics, significant data gaps still exist about microplastics which must be fulfilled with new innovative and scientific studies. The preventative measures that are currently carried out in order to reduce microplastics are not sufficient, and more remarkable and efficient actions must be taken to significantly reduce the level of microplastics in the world.