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A review of human and animals exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Health risk and adverse effects, photo-induced toxicity and regulating effect of microplastics
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This review examines the health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic chemicals from burning fossil fuels, and how microplastics can change their behavior in the environment. Microplastics absorb PAHs on their surface, potentially carrying these cancer-causing chemicals into organisms that ingest the contaminated particles. The combined toxicity of PAHs attached to microplastics may be greater than either pollutant alone, increasing risks to both wildlife and human health.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most widely distributed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environmental media. PAHs have been widely concerned due to their significant health risk and adverse effects to human and animals. Currently, the main sources of PAHs in the environment are the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, as well as municipal waste incineration and agricultural non-surface source emissions. In this work, the scope of our attention includes 16 typical PAHs themselves without involving their metabolites and industrial by-products. Exposure of human and animals to PAHs can lead to a variety of adverse effects, including carcinogenicity and teratogenicity, genotoxicity, reproductive- and endocrine-disrupting effects, immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity, the type and severity of which depend on a variety of factors. On the other hand, the regulatory effect of microplastics (MPs) on the bio-toxicity and bioaccumulation capacity of PAHs has now gradually attracted attention. We critically reviewed the adsorption capacity and mechanisms of MPs on PAHs as well as the effects of MPs on PAHs toxicity, thus highlighting the importance of paying attention to the joint bio-toxicity caused by PAHs-MPs interactions. In addition, due to the extensive nature of the common exposure pathway of PAHs and ultraviolet ray, an accurate understanding of biological processes exposed to both PAHs and UV light is necessary to develop effective protective strategies. Finally, based on the above critical review, we highlighted the research gaps and pointed out the priority of further studies.
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Persistence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Microplastics: A Serious Alarm to Human Health and Ecosystems
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Microplastics act like tiny magnets, attracting toxic chemicals called PAHs (found in things like car exhaust and burnt food) and carrying them through our air, water, soil, and food — eventually into our bodies. This review pulls together existing research showing that long-term exposure to this toxic combo is linked to serious health problems, including cancer risk, since several PAHs are officially classified as carcinogens by the EPA. The takeaway: microplastics may be doing more harm than just being plastic — they could be delivery vehicles for other dangerous pollutants.
Toxicities of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Aquatic Animals
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This review examines the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic animals, including their effects on hormones, tissue damage, and cancer risk. Researchers highlight the growing concern about microplastics acting as carriers for these harmful chemicals in water environments. The study emphasizes the need to address PAH pollution in aquatic ecosystems, particularly as microplastics may increase organisms' exposure to these toxic compounds.
Microplastics and PAHs mixed contamination: An in-depth review on the sources, co-occurrence, and fate in marine ecosystems
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This review examines how microplastics and PAHs (cancer-causing chemicals from fossil fuel burning) interact in ocean environments, with microplastics acting as carriers that help spread these toxic chemicals through marine ecosystems. This combined contamination matters for human health because both pollutants can accumulate in seafood and potentially reach people through diet.
Interactions between polyaromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics: Environmental mechanisms and ecotoxicological impacts
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This review examines how microplastics interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a class of toxic organic pollutants found throughout the environment. Evidence indicates that microplastics can adsorb these pollutants and alter their availability and toxicity to living organisms, with effects depending on plastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions. The study identifies critical gaps in long-term exposure research and calls for standardized testing methods to better assess these combined risks.
Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their human health risks depend on the characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms of Sanggou Bay, China
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This study found that the type and characteristics of microplastics present in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay, China, influenced how much of the harmful chemical pollutant PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) accumulated in their tissues. Smaller, more degraded microplastics carried more PAHs into organisms, raising the human health risk from eating contaminated seafood and highlighting that microplastics act as vehicles for other toxic chemicals.
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