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Papers
1,275 resultsA systematic review of the impacts of exposure to micro- and nano-plastics on human tissue accumulation and health
This systematic review found growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in human tissues including lungs, gut, and blood, with lab studies showing potential disruption to immune, reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems. The review identifies ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact as the three main exposure routes and highlights that the smallest nanoplastic particles pose the greatest concern due to their ability to cross biological barriers.
An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses Evaluating Associations between Human Health and Exposure to Major Classes of Plastic-Associated Chemicals
This umbrella review — a review of existing meta-analyses — assessed the health effects of chemicals found in plastics, including BPA, phthalates, and PFAS. The evidence links these plastic-associated chemicals to hormonal disruption, reproductive problems, metabolic issues, and increased cancer risk across many studies.
The micro(nano)plastics perspective: exploring cancer development and therapy
This review explores the emerging link between microplastics and cancer development. Microplastics can trigger chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone disruption, all of which are known pathways that may promote cancer growth. Interestingly, researchers are also studying whether engineered microplastics could be used as drug carriers for cancer therapy, though long-term effects remain unclear.
Can Mammalian Reproductive Health Withstand Massive Exposure to Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastic Derivatives? A Systematic Review
This systematic review examined how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect reproductive health in mammals. The evidence from animal studies shows these particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances in reproductive organs, raising concerns about potential effects on human fertility.
The triple exposure nexus of microplastic particles, plastic-associated chemicals, and environmental pollutants from a human health perspective
This review introduces the idea of a "triple exposure" from microplastics: the physical plastic particles themselves, the chemicals built into the plastic during manufacturing, and environmental pollutants that stick to plastic surfaces. All three exposure types can enter the human body through food, water, and air, and may have combined health effects that are worse than any single exposure alone. The authors argue that health risk assessments need to account for all three factors together.
Microplastics in human blood: Polymer types, concentrations and characterisation using μFTIR
Scientists analyzed blood from 20 healthy volunteers and found microplastics in 90% of samples, identifying 24 different plastic types including many reported for the first time in blood. The particles were mostly small fragments averaging about 128 micrometers long, and the study also detected hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates attached to the plastics. This adds to growing evidence that a wide variety of plastic particles are circulating in human blood.
Microplastics in marine ecosystems: A comprehensive review of biological and ecological implications and its mitigation approach using nanotechnology for the sustainable environment
This review summarizes how microplastics are harming marine ecosystems, from disrupting microbial communities and plankton to causing developmental problems in larger sea creatures. Through the food chain, these effects can ultimately reach humans, potentially causing hormone disruption and metabolic disorders. The authors also explore nanotechnology-based approaches and international cooperation as potential solutions for cleanup.
Nanoplastics Drive the Charge-specific Decline of Aquatic Insect (<i>Chironomus kiinensis</i>) Emergence through Inducing Oxidative Damage and Perturbing the Endocrine System
Researchers found that nanoplastics with a positive electrical charge were more harmful to aquatic insects than negatively charged ones, reducing emergence rates by over 22% at environmentally relevant concentrations. The positively charged particles were absorbed more easily by larvae due to stronger attraction to cell membranes, causing greater oxidative damage and hormonal disruption.
Technologies to eliminate microplastic from water: Current approaches and future prospects
This review surveys the different technologies available for removing microplastics from water, from basic filtration to advanced methods like magnetic separation and electrochemical treatment. Conventional approaches struggle with very small particles, while newer techniques are more effective but expensive and energy-intensive. Biological methods using bacteria, fungi, and algae offer a more eco-friendly alternative but need further development.
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Global Review of Distribution, Ecotoxicological Impacts, and Human Health Risks
This global review summarizes how microplastics are distributed across freshwater, marine, and polar environments, and examines their ecological and human health impacts. People are exposed through contaminated seafood, water, and air, and research links microplastic exposure to oxidative stress, inflammation, hormone disruption, and possible genetic effects at the cellular level.
Trends, challenges, and research pathways in emerging contaminants: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis
This large-scale bibliometric analysis reviewed over 62,000 studies on emerging contaminants published between 2000 and 2024, finding that microplastics are among the fastest-growing areas of environmental health research. The analysis highlights that understanding how microplastics interact with other pollutants like pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors is a critical frontier for protecting human health.
Effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure on macrophages: a review of molecular and cellular mechanisms
This review details how macrophages, key immune cells, respond when they engulf micro- and nanoplastics. The particles trigger inflammatory signaling, damage mitochondria and lysosomes, cause excessive production of harmful reactive oxygen species, and can lead to cell death, while in fat tissue they promote fat buildup and insulin resistance.
A systematic review of the effects of nanoplastics on fish
This systematic review examines how nanoplastics (extremely small plastic particles) affect fish, including their ability to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues. The findings are relevant to human health because fish are a major dietary protein source, and understanding how plastics move through aquatic food chains helps us assess our own exposure risks.
Health Implications of Microplastic Exposure in Pregnancy and Early Childhood: A Systematic Review
This systematic review summarizes existing research on how microplastic exposure during pregnancy and early childhood may affect health. The evidence shows that microplastics can reach the placenta and may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, raising concerns about potential effects on fetal development and infant health during these vulnerable life stages.
Mechanistic insight into potential toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health
This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the body through breathing, eating, and skin contact, then travel through the bloodstream to deposit in organs. Studies show they can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysfunction, genetic damage, developmental abnormalities, and potentially cancer, though most evidence comes from cell and animal studies rather than human research.
Harnessing Engineered Microbial Consortia for Xenobiotic Bioremediation: Integrating Multi-Omics and AI for Next-Generation Wastewater Treatment
This review explores how engineered teams of microbes can break down hard-to-remove pollutants in wastewater, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic dyes. By combining advanced genomic analysis with artificial intelligence, scientists can optimize these microbial communities for more effective and sustainable wastewater treatment.
The impact of environmental factors and contaminants on thyroid function and disease from fetal to adult life: current evidence and future directions
This review examines how environmental factors including pollution, endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenols and phthalates, and microplastics may be contributing to the rising rates of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer over the past decade. These contaminants can mimic or block thyroid hormones, disrupting the gland's ability to regulate metabolism and development from fetal life through adulthood.
A review of the neurobehavioural, physiological, and reproductive toxicity of microplastics in fishes
This review summarizes how microplastics cause a range of harmful effects in fish, including behavioral changes, brain and immune system damage, oxidative stress, and reproductive disruption through interference with hormone signaling. These findings are relevant to human health because many of the same biological pathways affected in fish also exist in humans, and people consume fish that have accumulated microplastics.
Recent advances in microbial and enzymatic engineering for the biodegradation of micro- and nanoplastics
This review covers recent advances in using engineered enzymes and microbes to break down plastic pollution, including persistent plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene that are major sources of microplastics. Developing biological methods to degrade these materials matters for human health because microplastics have been linked to cancer risk and endocrine disruption, and reducing plastic pollution at the source could lower overall human exposure.
Polystyrene microplastics impair the functions of cultured mouse Leydig (TM3) and Sertoli (TM4) cells by inducing mitochondrial-endoplasmic reticulum damage
Lab experiments showed that polystyrene microplastics damaged two key types of testicular cells in mice -- Leydig cells that produce testosterone and Sertoli cells that support sperm development -- by harming their mitochondria (the cell's energy centers) and stressing the endoplasmic reticulum. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could contribute to male reproductive problems by disrupting hormone production and sperm development at the cellular level.
Leaching of chemicals from microplastics: A review of chemical types, leaching mechanisms and influencing factors
This review examines how chemicals added to plastics during manufacturing, including flame retardants, plasticizers, and antioxidants, can leach out of microplastics once they enter the body or the environment. These released chemicals can disrupt hormones, harm brain development, and damage kidneys, making the chemical cargo of microplastics a significant concern for human health beyond the physical particles themselves.
Water pollution and sanitation in Indonesia: a review on water quality, health and environmental impacts, management, and future challenges
Many water sources across Indonesia are contaminated with heavy metals, microplastics, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and existing treatment plants fail to fully remove them. Inadequate sanitation has been linked to maternal health complications, childhood stunting, and increased diarrheal disease incidence.
The emerging risk of microplastics and nanoplastics on the microstructure and function of reproductive organs in mammals: A systematic review of preclinical evidence
Preclinical evidence from 12 studies shows micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in mammalian gonads, causing dose-dependent damage including seminiferous degeneration, sperm malformation, reduced follicular growth, and impaired hormone levels through pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory mechanisms.
Microfluidic sensors for the detection of emerging contaminants in water: A review
This review covers how tiny lab-on-a-chip devices called microfluidic sensors can detect emerging water pollutants, including microplastics and hormone-disrupting chemicals, faster and cheaper than traditional lab methods. Better detection tools matter for public health because identifying contamination quickly makes it possible to treat water before harmful particles reach people.