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Bridging relevance between microplastics, human health and bone metabolism: Emerging threats and research directions
Summary
Researchers reviewed how microplastics — tiny plastic fragments that accumulate in tissues throughout the body — may disrupt bone metabolism by triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal interference, raising concern that widespread microplastic exposure could contribute to bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Microplastics are widespread pollutants in the environment, with characteristics such as small particle size, strong adsorption, and difficult degradation, and have gradually become a global pollution problem, potentially endangering host health via various mechanisms. Currently, numerous research has verified biological toxic effects of microplastics in a variety of organisms and human organs and tissues, while the understanding of interaction between microplastics and bone metabolism is still limited. Based on assessing the relevance between microplastics and bone metabolism, strengthening the monitoring and control of microplastic pollution, and clarifying the mechanisms of microplastics on the bone metabolism, is critical for prevention and treatment of bone metabolic diseases. Herein, this review summarizes the classification of microplastics, source and distribution of microplastics, pathways of microplastics invading host, impacts and mechanisms of microplastics modulating the bone metabolism, and potential recommendations for preventing bone metabolic diseases caused by microplastic invasion, thus providing a novel perspective for the in-depth exploration of microplastics on bone metabolism and pivotal references for the future related researches and health policy formulation. • Microplastics have gradually become a global pollution problem, which may harm the host health through various mechanisms. • Microplastics have biological toxic effects on various organisms and human organs and tissues. • Current understanding of interaction between microplastics and bone metabolism is still limited. • Microplastics might affect bone metabolism in various ways and cause damage to bone.