We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food. Scientific opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This scientific opinion from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment reviewed the state of knowledge on microplastics occurrence in the environment and implications for ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic organisms, food production, and human health based on literature through February 2019. Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination across environmental compartments and identified critical Norwegian-specific data gaps requiring further investigation.
Summary The steering committee of VKM has self-initiated a mandate for an opinion on microplastics based on recently published international and/or national reports complemented with literature from December 2016 to February 2019. The mandate requested a summary of the state of knowledge on the presence of microplastics in the environment and the implications for the ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic organisms, food production and human health. An overview of main national and international ongoing initiatives was also requested, and highlighting of data gaps where specific Norwegian data was needed. VKM appointed a working group consisting of two VKM members and eight external experts (two are former VKM-members), in addition to a project leader from the VKM secretariat to write the assessment. Introduction Microplastics are global contaminants and have been ubiquitously detected in water, atmosphere, sediments, soils, sewage sludge, biota, and foodstuff, primarily as a result of degradation and fragmentation of larger plastic debris (secondary microplastics). Fragmentation occurs as plastic debris turns brittle due to weathering, especially as a result of solar photodegradation. Due to a large variation in material composition and environmental conditions, the fragmentation kinetics and processes are poorly understood, so there are no reliable estimates of the time to embrittlement of different types of plastics. Nano- and microplastics originally manufactured to be that size (primary microplastics) contribute to a lesser extent. Plastics contain a mixture of chemicals added during manufacture and may also ab/adsorb and act as vectors for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic contaminants (PBTs) and microorganisms from the environment. Microplastics have been subject to several recent reviews and risk assessments from international authorities which address both potential environmental and human health effects. (EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) on the presence of nano- and microplastics in food, with particular focus on seafood in 2016 (Alexander et al., 2016), a technical paper on the status of knowledge on microplastics in fisheries and aquaculture from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (Lusher et al., 2017b), and a scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society (SAPEA, 2019)).
More Papers Like This
Microplastics; occurrence, levels andimplications for environment and human health related to food. Opinion of the Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food andEnvironment
AI summary Read the abstract
This Norwegian scientific committee report assessed microplastic occurrence and health implications in food, reviewing evidence on exposure through seafood, drinking water, table salt, and other dietary sources. The committee found that while microplastics are widely present, the health risk from current food exposure levels remains uncertain due to insufficient data.
Micro- and nano-plastic contamination in foods and potential risk to human health
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about micro- and nanoplastic contamination in food, covering sources, occurrence, and analytical detection methods. Researchers found that while various foods, especially seafood, contain measurable levels of microplastics, the health risks to humans remain difficult to assess due to inconsistent research methods. The study calls for standardized approaches to better evaluate dietary exposure and potential health impacts.
A review on occurrence and environmental risk assessment for microplastics in freshwater systems
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers the occurrence, distribution, and health risks of microplastics across aquatic environments, food sources, and the atmosphere. It evaluates evidence for human exposure through multiple pathways and identifies gaps in understanding the full health impacts of chronic microplastic ingestion.
Microplastics in food: scoping review on health effects, occurrence, and human exposure
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence in a broad range of food types beyond fish and shellfish, estimated human dietary exposure, and potential health effects including toxicity from particles themselves, leached monomers, chemical additives, and co-contaminants, identifying major research gaps in non-marine food categories.
Microplastic Pollution in the Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the ubiquitous presence of microplastics as emerging environmental pollutants across all major environmental compartments, synthesizing data on their sources, fates, and concentrations over time and space to characterize the scale of global contamination.
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.