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Microplásticos como contaminantes emergentes na alimentação humana: desafios para a saúde pública
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This systematic review analyzed the impact of microplastics in the human food supply and found that MPs are present in beverages, seafood, vegetables, salt, and food packaging made from PET, polystyrene, and polyethylene. The study estimates annual human consumption at 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles, with sources including bottled water, tea bags heated above 95 degrees Celsius, and baby bottles heated to 100 degrees Celsius.
Enquadramento: Os microplásticos (MPs) são omnipresentes no ambiente e um poluente emergente de preocupação global, devido à presença na cadeia alimentar, com potenciais efeitos para a saúde humana [1]. Estima-se que o consumo humano anual de MPs é de 74000 a 121000 partículas, com uma ingestão semanal média de 5000 partículas [2]. Objetivo: Analisar o impacto dos MPs na alimentação e identificar potenciais riscos para a saúde pública. Métodos: Foi aplicada a metodologia PRISMA, através da pesquisa de artigos nas bases de dados da Scopus, PubMed e Web of Science, utilizando a combinação das seguintes palavras-chaves: “microplastics”, “food contamination” e “public health”, entre 2023 e 2025. Foram incluídos os artigos completos, em inglês e revisão por pares. Foram excluídos os artigos em processo de publicação e duplicados. Dos 37 artigos selecionados, 8 artigos foram incluídos neste estudo. Resultados: Diversos estudos identificaram MPs em bebidas e alimentos (frutos do mar, vegetais, sal) e em embalagens de alimentos constituídas por PET, PS, PP e PE, especialmente em produtos lácteos, carnes e molhos, devido às interações químicas com materiais de embalagem. Uma amostra de água engarrafada contém cerca de 48 a 159 MPs/L. Os sacos de chá de plástico libertam milhões de MPs quando expostos a temperatura da água quente superior a 95ºC. Os biberões podem libertar até 16,2 milhões de MPs/L quando aquecidos a 100ºC [3,4]. A alteração do DNA é um dos principais efeitos tóxicos da exposição humana aos MPs, tal como o desenvolvimento de doenças neurodegenerativas. Conclusões: A presença de MPs em alimentos e bebidas, representa riscos potenciais à saúde humana e ecossistemas. Para mitigar a contaminação, é necessário estabelecer padrões de segurança para materiais de contacto com alimentos, controlar o tempo de armazenagem e substituir por embalagens sustentáveis [4]. Campanhas de consciencialização e educação do consumidor são fundamentais para a redução de contaminação por MPs.
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