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Impact of Microplastics on Human Health and the Ecosystem: A Simplified Approach
Summary
This review provides a plain-language overview of how microplastics enter aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments and affect both ecosystem health and human health through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal pathways. It summarises key mechanisms of toxicity and calls for strengthened global regulation.
Microplastic pollution has become an invasive and chronic environmental condition, where plastic fragments less than 5 mm pervade aquatic, terrestrial, and even atmospheric ecosystems of the world. These nanoscale particles are the result of the fragmentation of larger plastic waste products that are released into the environment in a variety of ways, including industrial operations, consumer goods, and waste management failures. The primary pathways through which microplastics may affect human health/ecosystems include food, inhalation, and exposure through food chain that lead to accumulation of the plastics in tissue and organism. Microplastics can cause serious harm including physical harm, chemical toxicity due to additives and contaminants and biological system disturbance. Although there is increasing awareness, there are significant challenges when it comes to the detection, evaluation of risks and mitigation of these risks. This review is a simplified summary of microplastic pollution, its health and ecological effects, and current challenges and future trends to inform the research and policy towards effective management of microplastic risks.
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