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Microplastics and Oxidative Stress—Current Problems and Prospects
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This review examines how microplastics cause oxidative stress, a condition where harmful molecules called free radicals damage cells. Microplastics have been linked to DNA damage, cell membrane disruption, mitochondrial problems, inflammation, and cell death, all driven by oxidative stress. These effects may contribute to serious health conditions including cancer and cardiovascular disease, though the authors note that more research is needed to fully understand the risks.
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles between 0.1 and 5000 µm in size that have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community and the general public, as they threaten the environment. Microplastics contribute to various harmful effects, including lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, cell membrane breakages, mitochondrial dysfunction, lysosomal defects, inflammation, and apoptosis. They affect cells, tissues, organs, and overall health, potentially contributing to conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. They pose a significant danger due to their widespread occurrence in food. In recent years, information has emerged indicating that MPs can cause oxidative stress (OS), a known factor in accelerating the aging of organisms. This comprehensive evaluation exposed notable variability in the reported connection between MPs and OS. This work aims to provide a critical review of whether the harmfulness of plastic particles that constitute environmental contaminants may result from OS through a comprehensive analysis of recent research and existing scientific literature, as well as an assessment of the characteristics of MPs causing OS. Additionally, the article covers the analytical methodology used in this field. The conclusions of this review point to the necessity for further research into the effects of MPs on OS.
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Microplastics Exposure and Redox Imbalance in Human Tissues: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Health Implications
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Tiny plastic particles from our air, water, and food are showing up in human blood, lungs, and even the placenta, and this review of existing research explains how they may cause "oxidative stress," a kind of cellular damage that happens when harmful molecules overwhelm the body's natural defenses. Over time, this imbalance has been linked to inflammation and other health problems, though scientists still need more research to pin down exactly how much exposure is harmful and who's most at risk. The takeaway: microplastics aren't just an environmental issue, they may be quietly stressing our cells, making this an area worth watching as research continues.
Toxicity Induced by Micro-and Nanoplastics through Oxidative Stress: The Role of Co-Exposure to Other Chemical Pollutants
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This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress — a form of cellular damage — in living organisms, particularly when combined with other chemical pollutants in the environment. Co-exposure to microplastics and chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals tends to be more damaging than either pollutant alone.
Molecular Mechanisms of Cytotoxic and Carcinogenic Effects of Microplastics on In Vitro Cell Models
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This review paper pulls together lab studies showing how tiny plastic particles (micro- and nanoplastics) can damage cells — by triggering harmful oxygen molecules that cause "oxidative stress," disrupting the cell's energy-making mitochondria, and even harming DNA. These findings matter because they suggest a possible way that the plastic particles we're increasingly exposed to through food, water, and air could contribute to cell damage and disease risk, though this research was done in cell cultures in a lab, not in living people, so more studies are needed to confirm real-world health effects.
Microplastics and nanoplastics in human toxicity: ROS-mediated mechanisms, cellular damage and systemic effects
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This review pulls together existing research showing how tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) can get inside our cells and trigger a damaging cascade of "oxidative stress", essentially cellular rust that harms our DNA, mitochondria (the cell's energy factories), and other vital structures. This damage has been linked in studies to problems throughout the body, including liver and kidney injury, fertility issues, gut bacteria imbalances, hormone disruption, and increased cancer risk, meaning the plastic exposure we experience daily through food, water, and air may have far-reaching effects on our health.
Microplastics, Endocrine Disruptors, and Oxidative Stress: Mechanisms and Health Implications
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics trigger oxidative stress as a central mechanism of toxicity across multiple organ systems, including reproductive, cardiovascular, hepatic, and neurological tissues. The study highlights that these particles often carry endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A and phthalates, which together generate reactive oxygen species, impair mitochondrial function, and compromise antioxidant defenses.
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