We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Tracing the journey of nano- and microplastics: from environmental prevalence to human intake
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes the sources, transport pathways, physicochemical properties, and dietary intake estimates for nano- and microplastics across environmental compartments and food categories, identifying fibers and fragments from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as dominant forms reaching the human food chain through seafood, produce, and processed foods. Quantifying estimated daily intake across age groups and food types is essential groundwork for setting regulatory exposure limits and evaluating the cumulative health risks of microplastic ingestion.
Nano- and microplastics (NMPs) are emerging environmental pollutants of growing concern due to their persistence and widespread presence across ecological and food systems. Environmental NMP pollution is primarily attributed to anthropogenic activities such as tire abrasion, textile washing, agricultural practices, and industrial discharge. Once released into the environment, NMPs undergo complex transport processes, such as deposition and leaching, that contribute to their ubiquity and accumulation across environmental compartments. NMPs can infiltrate the human food chain through seafood, agricultural produce, and processed food, raising concerns about long-term health risks. This review aims to comprehensively synthesize recent findings on the sources, distribution, physicochemical properties of NMPs from the environment to various dietary sources. Special attention is provided to identifying dominant sources and polymer types and assessing human exposure through ingestion. Current gaps in detection and quantification methodologies are also discussed. Fibers and fragments were the most frequently reported NMP shapes, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the predominant polymers detected across the environment and food, due to contamination from soil, irrigation water, and airborne deposition. This review provides updated estimated daily intake (EDI) of NMPs across different food categories and age groups, based on current contamination data. In addition, we noticed that the lack of standardized analytical methodologies continues to hinder cross-study comparability and accurate exposure assessment. This review suggests an urgent need to harmonize detection protocols to enhance risk assessment and regulatory decision-making. Overall, this review offers an integrated perspective on environmental and dietary pathways of NMP exposure by incorporating recent data and outlines critical research priorities for future risk assessment.
More Papers Like This
Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics: routes, accumulation, and health implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in human blood, placenta, breast milk, and stool, with emerging associations between internal MNP burdens and inflammatory, cardiometabolic, and potential reproductive effects. Humans are exposed through ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, and medical interventions, making microplastic accumulation in the body a pressing public health concern requiring urgent research into clinical health outcomes.
The Potential Human Impacts of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics and Nanoplastics: A Review
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed human health consequences of environmental micro- and nanoplastic contamination, noting that while detection in human tissues is growing, the extent of biological harm remains poorly characterized and requires more systematic study of exposure routes and dose-response relationships.
Microplastics and nanoplastics in the human diet
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through food and drink, finding that the tiniest particles likely penetrate the gut lining and enter tissues in ways similar to drug-delivery nanoparticles. This raises significant concerns about long-term health effects from everyday dietary exposure to plastic contamination.
Influence of Microplastics on Environmental and Human Health
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence on microplastic health impacts over the past decade, synthesizing findings from World Health Organization reports and primary studies to assess risks from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact across different particle types.
Microplastic Pollution: Human Exposure, Uptake, Accumulation Pathways, and Potential Health Consequences
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed the exposure routes, uptake mechanisms, and accumulation pathways of microplastics in the human body, concluding that the ubiquitous presence of these particles warrants urgent investigation into their long-term ecological and health consequences.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.