Mikroplastik sebagai Kontaminan Anyar dan Efek Toksiknya terhadap Kesehatan

Microplastics are synthetic polymers that are unable to be completely degraded and will stay as an environmental contaminant for a long period of time. Due to their microscopic size, microplastics are able to enter the human body, either directly or indirectly via the food chain, where both processes will induce pathological changes in-vivo. So far, clinically, there has been no direct evidence yet about any microplastic-related disease in humans. However, since Indonesia is a maritime country and has been producing microplastics on a large scale, it is critical for our healthcare personnel to have the knowledge about microplastic toxicokinetics and the possible pathological responses elicited by humans when exposed to microplastics. This review article aims to discuss the definition, genesis, accumulation process, toxicokinetics, and pathological responses due to microplastic exposure, emphasizing the biomolecular aspects and implying the possible effects on public health. An internet search in Google Scholar and Pubmed was performed using keywords "microplastics" and "health", as well as their Indonesian language counterparts. Full-text English or Indonesian text from the year 2018 to 2020 were gathered and used as the primary references for this literature review. Microplastics are a novel emerging contaminant that is currently accumulating in the earth's biomass with the potency to induce pathological changes in the human body. Health practitioners are expected to have knowledge about the harm of microplastic to humans. Eventually, follow-up acts should be taken to prevent and manage the microplastic-related pathologies as discussed further in this review.