We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Human Exposure to Microplastics and Its Associated Health Risks
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin, and have been detected in stool, blood, and tissues. Research in lab animals and human cells shows that microplastics can disrupt digestion, immunity, the nervous system, and reproduction, and can also amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants they carry.
Microplastics are a globally emerging contaminant in the environment, but little is known about the potential risks of microplastics to human health. Possible exposure routes of microplastics to humans include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal penetration, with the last of these needing equal attention as the other two main routes. Evidence showed the presence of microplastics in human-derived biological samples (i.e., excrement, biofluids, and tissues). Most of the toxicological studies of microplastics on humans were based on laboratory rodents and human-derived cells. Energy homeostasis, intestinal microflora, and the reproductive, immune, and nervous systems were regarded as targets of microplastics. The toxicity of microplastics on microstructures including lysosomes, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the nucleus further revealed the potential risks of microplastics on human health at the cellular levels. As a carrier, microplastics also had the potential to magnify the toxicity of other contaminants in the environment (e.g., plasticizer, metals, antibiotics, and microorganisms). Studies of microplastics at environmentally realistic conditions are still in their infancy with many unsolved questions to predict their risks on human health.
More Papers Like This
Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics are found throughout the environment and in human samples, entering the body through food, air, and skin contact. Lab studies in cells and animals show microplastics can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, immune reactions, brain toxicity, and reproductive harm, and early human health data links microplastic exposure to several chronic diseases.
A review on microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment: Their occurrence, exposure routes, toxic studies, and potential effects on human health
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes what is known about how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and what they do once inside. Studies on cells and animals show these tiny particles can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and harm to the immune, digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems. The research makes clear that microplastics are not just an environmental problem but a direct concern for human health.
Impact of microplastics on human health: exposure mechanisms and potential health implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, drinking water, and inhaled air, and summarizes what is known about their potential health effects. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in human stool samples, blood, and lung tissue, and may carry harmful chemicals and pathogens. The study highlights that while evidence of direct health impacts is still emerging, the widespread presence of microplastics in everyday exposure pathways warrants serious attention.
Microplastic: Characteristics, exposure pathways, toxicity, and implication for human health
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, air, and skin contact, and the potential health effects of that exposure. Researchers found associations between microplastic exposure and issues such as gut inflammation and disrupted neurotransmitter levels, with particles even detected in human brain tissue. The study highlights the urgent need for better regulations, improved recycling, and new removal technologies to reduce microplastic-related health risks.
The Impact of Microplastics on Human Health: a Comprehensive Review
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review summarizes how microplastics — found in air, water, and food — enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and have been detected in organs including the lungs, liver, kidneys, placenta, and brain. Microplastic exposure has been associated with respiratory disorders, gut inflammation, reproductive toxicity, immune dysfunction, and potential neurological effects.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.