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Microplastic Exposure and Human Health: Advancing Risk Assessment and Future Research Directions
Summary
This review synthesizes recent evidence that microplastics are present in human blood, respiratory tissue, placenta, and gut, examines proposed toxicological mechanisms, and identifies priorities for improving risk assessment frameworks and exposure measurement methods.
Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Their pervasive presence across terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems has led to increasing human exposure. Recent evidence indicates MPs are present in human blood, respiratory tissues, placental structures, and gastrointestinal waste, raising significant concerns about their potential toxicological implications. This paper synthesizes recent advances in microplastic toxicology, focusing on human exposure pathways, tissue distribution, experimental toxicological evidence, and critical knowledge gaps. It aims to provide a coherent risk assessment framework for understanding the health consequences of microplastic exposure, highlighting the imperative for standardized methodologies and long-term epidemiological studies.