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Food and human safety: the impact of microplastics
Summary
This review characterizes the scope of microplastic contamination in the human food supply, examining how these particles enter food through environmental contamination, processing, and packaging. Researchers found microplastics in a wide range of foods including seafood, salt, honey, and beverages, with concentrations varying by food type and region. The study highlights the need for standardized detection methods and risk assessments to better understand the health implications of dietary microplastic exposure.
Plastic waste pollution is one of the biggest problems in the world today. The amount of plastic in the environment continues to increase, and human exposure to microplastic (MP) has become a reality. This subject has attracted the attention of the whole world. The MP problem has also been noticed by the scientific community. The term microplastic is mostly used to define synthetic material with a high polymer content that can have a size range from 0.1 to 5000 µm. This paper aims to characterize the routes of exposure to MP, define its pollution sources, and identify food types contaminated with plastics. This review addresses the current state of knowledge on this type of particles, with particular emphasis on their influence on human health. Adverse effects of MP depend on routes and sources of exposure. The most common route of exposure is believed to be the gastrointestinal tract. Sources of MP include fish, shellfish, water as well as tea, beer, wine, energy drinks, soft drinks, milk, salt, sugar, honey, poultry meat, fruits, and vegetables. Studies have shown that particles of PET, PE, PP, PS, PVC, PA, and PC are the most frequently found in food.