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Invisible Threats on the Plate
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This paper reviews three categories of emerging food contaminants—microplastics, PFAS, and pharmaceutical residues—examining their sources, detection methods, and health risks, and highlighting the inadequacy of current food safety regulations in addressing these invisible threats.
Emerging food contaminants have gained significant attention due to their potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. This paper focuses on three critical categories of emerging contaminants: microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and pharmaceutical residues. Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment and can enter the food chain, posing risks to aquatic organisms and potentially human consumers. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are persistent in the environment and have been linked to various health issues, leading to their classification as emerging pollutants. Additionally, pharmaceutical residues, stemming from agricultural runoff and wastewater discharge, are increasingly found in food matrices, raising concerns about their impact on food safety. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the occurrence, pathways, impacts, and detection techniques for these contaminants, highlighting the urgent need for effective risk management strategies to mitigate their effects on food systems and public health.
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Emerging Food Contaminants
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This paper introduces the concept of emerging food contaminants as invisible chemical risks in modern food systems, reviewing how industrial chemical use has created new categories of food safety concerns including microplastics and persistent organic pollutants not covered by traditional regulations.
Microplastics, PFAS, and Pharmaceutical Residues as Emerging Contaminants in the Global Food Chain
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This chapter reviews how microplastics, PFAS, and pharmaceutical residues enter the global food chain through industrial discharge, agricultural practices, and environmental runoff, emphasising their persistence and bioaccumulation. It evaluates the human health implications and regulatory challenges of managing these co-occurring emerging contaminants.
Invisible Threats in Food Systems: Emerging Contaminants, Exposure Pathways and Safety Concerns
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This study examined the resilience of anaerobic digestion processes to microplastic contamination, assessing whether plastic particles affect methane production and microbial community function. Results indicate that anaerobic digesters can tolerate certain microplastic loads but may experience reduced efficiency at higher concentrations.
Emerging Contaminants (PFAS, Microplastics, Pharmaceuticals): Detection, Fate, and Remediation Strategies - A Review
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This review consolidates current knowledge on the sources, environmental behavior, detection methods, and remediation strategies for three classes of persistent emerging contaminants — PFAS, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals — highlighting the need for comprehensive regulatory and monitoring approaches.
Microplastics Pollution as an Invisible Potential Threat to Food Safety and Security, Policy Challenges and the Way Forward
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This review synthesized studies from 1999 to 2020 on microplastics in aquatic ecosystems and human food products, documenting toxic effects from animal studies and identifying major policy gaps in plastic use and disposal regulation, particularly regarding human health risk assessment.
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.