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Getting a grip on microplastics’ risks
Summary
This review examines the current state of microplastic risk assessment, noting that tiny plastic particles have been detected in water, food, air, human blood, lung tissue, and stool, yet their risks to human health and the environment remain unclear. The authors draw parallels with challenges faced in nanotoxicology and discuss how lessons from that field could improve methods for studying microplastic toxicity and exposure.
Tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter are popping up nearly everywhere scientists look. They are in water, food, and air, as well as in human blood, lung tissue, and stool. But it is unclear whether micro- and nanosized plastics pose any risks to human health or the environment. Researchers are starting to investigate sources of microplastics. They are also exploring how the particles affect human cells in test systems that mimic digestion and inhalation. But microplastics are complex mixtures with different shapes, sizes, and chemistries, making them difficult to study. Because of limited exposure data, regulators are struggling to understand the risks. The situation is reminiscent of the challenges faced by researchers studying the toxicology of engineered nanomaterials more than a decade ago. Lessons learned from nanotoxicology could help pave a better path to assess the risks of microplastics. When scientists at the US National Institute of