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Microplastics in food: scoping review on health effects, occurrence, and human exposure
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This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence in a broad range of food types beyond fish and shellfish, estimated human dietary exposure, and potential health effects including toxicity from particles themselves, leached monomers, chemical additives, and co-contaminants, identifying major research gaps in non-marine food categories.
With most of the plastics ever produced are now being wasted, slowly degrading and fragmenting in the environment, microplastics (MPs) have become an emerging concern regarding their presence in food and influence on human health. While many studies on marine ecotoxicology and the occurrence of MPs in fish and shellfish exist, research on the occurrence of MPs in other foods and their effect on human health is still in the early stage, but attention is increasing. This review aimed to provide relevant information on the possible health effect of ingested MPs, the occurrence, and levels of MPs contamination in various foods and estimated exposure to MPs through food. Potential toxic consequences from exposure to MPs through food can arise from MPs themselves, diffused monomers and additives, and sorbed contaminants or microorganisms that colonise MPs. Recent publications have confirmed widespread contamination of our food with MPs including basic and life‐essential constituents such as water and salt providing the basis for chronic exposure. Available exposure assessments indicate that we ingest up to several hundred thousand MPs particles yearly.
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This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about micro- and nanoplastic contamination in food, covering sources, occurrence, and analytical detection methods. Researchers found that while various foods, especially seafood, contain measurable levels of microplastics, the health risks to humans remain difficult to assess due to inconsistent research methods. The study calls for standardized approaches to better evaluate dietary exposure and potential health impacts.
Microplastics in food: scoping review on health effects, occurrence, and human exposure
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Researchers reviewed evidence on microplastic contamination across many types of food and found that humans may ingest hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per year through everyday foods including water and salt. The health effects remain unclear, but the widespread contamination creates a basis for ongoing, chronic exposure.
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This review examined the potential risks and toxicological effects of nano- and microplastics on human health through food products, identifying key contamination sources in the food chain and their harmful impacts on the body.
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This review examines how plastics and microplastics enter the food supply, covering sources of contamination, the scale of dietary exposure, degradation products, and analytical capabilities for measuring food contamination. Researchers synthesize evidence on microplastic occurrence across diverse food categories and assess gaps in understanding long-term health risks. The paper provides a broad overview of food safety concerns associated with plastic contamination.
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The study reviews the occurrence, bioavailability, and potential health impacts of microplastics in food, noting that contamination has been detected in foodstuffs and beverages worldwide. Researchers highlight that current data on dietary microplastic exposure remains insufficient for comprehensive risk assessment, and call for standardized methodologies to better evaluate the threat to human health.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.