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Toxicity of microplastics in humans: A search for sustainable alternatives
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Researchers reviewed the toxic effects of microplastics on human respiratory, circulatory, and gastrointestinal systems, finding that particle size, shape, and surface chemistry govern biological harm. The review also evaluated bioplastics made from materials like corn starch and cellulose as sustainable alternatives, though it cautions that large-scale bioplastic production could strain global food resources.
Plastics have become ubiquitous in our daily lives and are a major source of microplastic pollution. Microplastics are plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5mm. It can now be found in all ecosystems, including virgin environments like Antarctica. The main form of microplastics entering the food web is through ingestion and eventually accumulation in a different body part. In this context, the objective of this chapter is to study the toxic effect microplastics have on major systems of humans and to find out existing sustainable alternatives to eliminate microplastics from the environment. The current research focused that microplastics reaching the respiratory, circulatory and gastrointestinal systems through the air, water and food. The toxicity of plastics depends on the particle‟s size, shape, texture, surface chemistry and charge, which governs its interactions with biological systems. Therefore, scientists partially substituted petrochemical-based polymers with development of bioplastics which are biodegradable in nature and can fight increased environmental and economic challenges. These bioplastics are made from cellulose, potato, corn starch and sugarcane. Though these raw materials are also major food resources, massive production of bioplastics from them may increase the possibility of food crisis.
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Researchers reviewed how humans are exposed to microplastics through eating, breathing, and skin contact, finding that lab studies link microplastic exposure to oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage, though the long-term health effects in humans remain poorly understood and need further study.
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Toxicological Effects of Ingested Microplastics on Human Health
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Researchers reviewed the toxicological effects of ingested microplastics on human health, examining how these ubiquitous particles accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and may cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and potential systemic harm across multiple organ systems.
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Researchers reviewed the sources, environmental distribution, and toxicological impacts of microplastics, highlighting microbial degradation as a promising remediation strategy and the emerging use of machine learning with spectroscopic data for accurate microplastic identification and classification.
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