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Potent Impact of Plastic Nanomaterials and Micromaterials on the Food Chain and Human Health
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This review examined how plastic nanomaterials and micromaterials impact the food chain and potentially affect human health. Researchers found that fragmented plastic debris, as both microplastics and nanoplastics, can accumulate in organisms and gradually spread through the food chain, though the specific effects on human organ systems remain an active area of investigation.
Plastic products are inexpensive, convenient, and are have many applications in daily life. We overuse plastic-related products and ineffectively recycle plastic that is difficult to degrade. Plastic debris can be fragmented into smaller pieces by many physical and chemical processes. Plastic debris that is fragmented into microplastics or nanoplastics has unclear effects on organismal systems. Recently, this debris was shown to affect biota and to be gradually spreading through the food chain. In addition, studies have indicated that workers in plastic-related industries develop many kinds of cancer because of chronic exposure to high levels of airborne microplastics. Microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere now, contaminating our water, air, and food chain. In this review, we introduce a classification of plastic polymers, define microplastics and nanoplastics, identify plastics that contaminate food, describe the damage and diseases caused by microplastics and nanoplastics, and the molecular and cellular mechanisms of this damage and disease as well as solutions for their amelioration. Thus, we expect to contribute to the understanding of the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on cellular and molecular mechanisms and the ways that the uptake of microplastics and nanoplastics are potentially dangerous to our biota. After understanding the issues, we can focus on how to handle the problems caused by plastic overuse.
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This review examined the potential risks and toxicological effects of nano- and microplastics on human health through food products, identifying key contamination sources in the food chain and their harmful impacts on the body.
Potential Health Impact of Environmentally Released Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Food Production Chain: Experiences from Nanotoxicology
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This review assesses the potential for micro- and nanoplastics to enter the human food chain, drawing on evidence from studies of food production and related biological systems. Researchers found that while larger microplastics are unlikely to be absorbed by the human body, nanoplastics may be small enough to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues. The study highlights that much remains unknown about real-world human exposure levels and calls for more research into the health implications of these tiny particles in food.
Plastic contamination of the food chain: A threat to human health?
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human food chain through shellfish, inhalation, and other routes, and assesses what is known about their toxicity. The authors conclude that while larger microplastics appear to have low absorption and toxicity, nanoplastics may accumulate in tissues and potentially affect the nervous and reproductive systems, though effects in humans remain unproven.
Impact of Microplastics on AquaticOrganisms and Human Health: A Review
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This review examines how microplastics from degraded plastic debris accumulate in aquatic environments, are ingested by organisms at all levels of the food chain, and may transfer to humans through seafood. The evidence warrants concern about microplastic contamination as an emerging public health issue.
Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains
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This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic pollution, examining the mechanisms by which microplastics affect organisms at multiple levels of biological organization and how plastic particles transfer through trophic chains, accumulating and potentially magnifying in concentration up the food web. Researchers highlight evidence for physical, chemical, and microbial impacts on organisms ranging from invertebrates to mammals, including humans, and identify priority areas for future ecotoxicological research.
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