We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
[Presence of microplastics in water and the potential impact on public health].
Summary
This Spanish-language review examines the presence of microplastics in water and their potential effects on public health, covering sources, routes of human exposure through drinking water and food, and biological effects. The authors note significant uncertainty remains about long-term health impacts.
The use of plastics has increased exponentially over recent years. Difficulties in their recycling and their low degradability result in their accumulation in the environment. Despite their great stability, they are subject to physical and chemical erosion resulting in smaller fragments. Although there is no standard definition of microplastics, the maximum limit of 5 mm has been accepted as a criterion. Plastics, in addition to the consequences on the environment, have a direct effect on living beings, either by ingestion or toxicity. They may also act as a vehicle for invasive species and adsorb other contaminants on their surface such as PCBs, PAHs or DDT. This, increases the toxic effect of their own components such as plasticizers, additives, heavy metals, etc. There is disparity in the published results regarding the presence of microplastics in both water supplies and drinking water and bottled water. There are no standard analytical methods, nor a consensus in the definition and description of microplastics that allow an appropriate comparison of results. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is necessary to study in depth the presence of microplastics in water and the potential effects on health, in order to be able to consider microplastics as a monitoring parameter in drinking water.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Implicaciones de la exposición a microplásticos en salud humana. Revisión bibliográfica
This Spanish-language review summarizes health implications of microplastic exposure, covering how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, and air, and what biological effects have been observed. The review notes that virtually all products in modern life contain some form of plastic.
[Presence of microplastics in water and the potential impact on public health].
This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in drinking water and its potential effects on human health, noting that plastics can enter water supplies through weathering and industrial processes. The authors highlight concerns about physical toxicity, chemical leaching, and the role of microplastics as carriers for pathogens and pollutants, calling for more research and regulatory attention.
Los microplásticos en el entorno acuático: Un vistazo a la cinética, mecanismo de degradación, impacto ambiental y en la salud humana
This Spanish-language review examines how microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems, how they degrade over time, and what their environmental and human health effects may be. The authors report that microplastics have now reached even pristine environments like the polar regions, and that their ingestion by diverse organisms raises serious questions about long-term ecosystem health. The review highlights the urgent need for better understanding of microplastic toxicity and fate in water bodies.
Microplásticos: Presencia y diseminación en el medio ambiente
This Spanish-language review examines the current state of microplastic research, covering characterization methods, their presence in water, soil, and air, impacts on food webs and human health, and strategies needed to address this global environmental challenge.
Micro(nano)plásticos en el medio ambiente: una descripción de los efectos potenciales a la salud humana
This Spanish-language review summarizes in vitro and in vivo evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics (1 µm–5 mm and below 1 µm) accumulate in the human body and trigger adverse biological responses. It emphasizes the growing public health concern as plastic fragmentation accelerates and human internal exposure becomes increasingly documented.