Microplastics, physical-chemical and biological principles of this environmental liability

The advent of plastic to the social situation has suppressed a series of demands from both the industry and the population, due to cost, durability and disposal. Because they can be rigid, malleable, opaque, translucent, easy or difficult to melt by the action of fire, some make them capable of serving as raw material for various products on the market, including those widely used in the food industry. In view of the above, the present study aims at a bibliographical review on the topic of microplastics, where the search will be to verify the primary and secondary steps necessary for the formation of the compound, its direct and indirect influence on food production, the physical-chemical processes through which compounds are obtained and the presence or absence of regulation regarding this environmental liability. The present study aims to analyze as a basis the search for knowledge of the primary and secondary formation of microplastics. Subsequently, together with its main objective, this study aims to search for the physico-chemical and thermodynamic phenomena involved in the process of formation and obtaining of microplastics, the polluting potential and, like all waste, its implications for human health. A study horizon was established covering the years 2015 to 2023, where 3,750 articles were found and after applying open access filters, duplication of publication, words present only in the abstract and not in the text, 49 articles remained that are the object of this study. The direct implications of microplastic pollution are already a relevant reason for discussion and subsequent regulation by managers, researchers, international organizations and society in general. Public health problems that can transform into microplastics, containment and adsorption mechanisms of these compounds in living organisms, are points to be pursued by academia as a whole. Contamination by these compounds was found in bottled mineral water, human milk, processed foods, seafood, showing the extent of contamination of this material.