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Papers
923 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.
Impact of microplastics on the human gut microbiome: a systematic review of microbial composition, diversity, and metabolic disruptions
This systematic review of 12 studies found that microplastics including polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC induce gut dysbiosis in humans, reducing beneficial bacteria and enriching pathogens. Microplastic exposure also impairs short-chain fatty acid production and modulates immune pathways, contributing to intestinal disease, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation.
Microplastics in the human body: A comprehensive review of exposure, distribution, migration mechanisms, and toxicity
This comprehensive review pulls together research on how microplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and where they accumulate in organs and tissues. The review discusses how particle size determines whether microplastics can cross biological barriers like the gut lining and blood-brain barrier. The authors conclude that microplastics pose significant health risks and call for more research into their long-term effects.
The potential impact of nano- and microplastics on human health: Understanding human health risks.
This review summarizes how nano- and microplastics enter the human body through breathing, eating, drinking, and skin contact, and then accumulate in organs over time. Studies have linked this buildup to respiratory problems like asthma and lung cancer, gut inflammation, disrupted gut bacteria, and neurological symptoms. At the cellular level, plastics cause DNA damage and cell death, though more research is needed to fully understand the long-term health risks in humans.
An Overview on Microplastics Hazards to the Marine Ecosystem and Humans’ Health
This overview examines how microplastics contaminate marine environments and threaten both ocean life and human health. Microplastics can be swallowed by marine organisms, pass through intestinal walls, spread to other organs, and carry toxic chemicals up the food chain to humans. The main ways people are exposed include eating contaminated seafood, breathing in airborne particles, and skin contact.
Microplastics as an emerging threat to human health: An overview of potential health impacts
This review provides a broad overview of how microplastics enter the body through food, air, and skin contact, and have been found in human tissues including the placenta, blood, lungs, and reproductive organs. Children face especially high risk due to hand-to-mouth behaviors and faster breathing rates relative to their body size, making them more susceptible to microplastic exposure and its potential toxic effects.
Micro- and nanoplastic toxicity in humans: Exposure pathways, cellular effects, and mitigation strategies
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter the body through food, air, and skin, then accumulate in organs where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and genetic damage. These effects have been linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, immune dysfunction, and brain diseases, and the review highlights promising countermeasures including advanced filtration, bioremediation, and protective compounds like melatonin and probiotics.
The clinical relevance of microplastic exposure on colorectal cancer: A systematic review
This systematic review of four studies found that microplastic accumulation in colorectal cancer tissue (25.9-32.2 particles/g) was significantly higher than in healthy controls, with polyamide, polycarbonate, and polypropylene as the most common polymers detected. While a causal relationship has not been established, the evidence points to microplastics as a potential environmental factor in colorectal cancer development.
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.
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.
Microplastic-mediated new mechanism of liver damage: From the perspective of the gut-liver axis
This review describes how microplastics can damage the liver through the gut-liver axis: they first disrupt the gut's protective barrier and beneficial bacteria, allowing harmful substances to leak through the weakened intestinal wall into the bloodstream and travel to the liver. Once there, these substances cause inflammation, metabolic problems, and oxidative stress, offering a new explanation for how microplastic exposure could lead to liver disease.
Microplastics in aquatic systems: A comprehensive review of its distribution, environmental interactions, and health risks
This review summarizes how microplastics accumulate in oceans, rivers, and lakes, where they absorb toxic chemicals like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants and carry them up through the food chain. An estimated 5.25 trillion plastic particles float in global oceans, releasing dissolved carbon that disrupts microbial ecosystems, with ultimate risks to human health through seafood consumption and drinking water.
Detection of microplastics in the human penis
In the first study to look for microplastics in human penile tissue, researchers detected plastic particles in 80% of samples from six men undergoing surgery, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene being the most common types. This finding adds the penis to the growing list of human organs where microplastics have been found, raising questions about potential effects on male reproductive health.
Immune-mediated disease caused by climate change-associated environmental hazards: mitigation and adaptation
This review examines how climate change-driven events like wildfires, dust storms, and heatwaves increase air pollution and allergen exposure, contributing to rising rates of asthma, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The paper specifically notes that nanoplastics, alongside other environmental pollutants, can disrupt skin and mucous membrane barriers and alter the microbiome in ways that trigger immune system dysfunction.
Advancements in Regenerative Hydrogels in Skin Wound Treatment: A Comprehensive Review
This review covers advances in regenerative hydrogels for treating skin wounds, highlighting how these water-absorbing materials promote healing by keeping wounds moist, supporting cell growth, and delivering drugs in a controlled way. While not about microplastics directly, hydrogel technology represents a biocompatible alternative to plastic-based wound dressings that could reduce medical microplastic waste.
Microplastics in dermatology: Potential effects on skin homeostasis
This study highlights the growing concern that microplastics and nanoplastics may affect skin health by disrupting the skin's natural balance. While research is still early, the findings suggest that these synthetic particles could interfere with skin homeostasis, pointing to a need for further investigation into how everyday plastic exposure might affect our largest organ.
Neurotoxicities induced by micro/nanoplastics: A review focusing on the risks of neurological diseases
This review summarizes evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain through the bloodstream and nerve pathways, where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell damage that may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The particles are found in air, water, soil, and food, meaning humans are constantly exposed through breathing, eating, and skin contact, making brain effects a serious long-term concern.
Aged polystyrene microplastics exacerbate alopecia associated with tight junction injuries and apoptosis via oxidative stress pathway in skin
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics, especially those aged by UV light, caused hair loss and skin damage in mice by triggering oxidative stress that broke down the tight junctions (seals between skin cells) and activated cell death pathways. This study provides early evidence that microplastic pollution could contribute to skin conditions and hair loss, particularly from weathered plastics that are more toxic than fresh ones.
Human Exposure to Ambient Atmospheric Microplastics in a Megacity: Spatiotemporal Variation and Associated Microorganism-Related Health Risk
A year-long study in a major Chinese city estimated that children and adults are exposed to roughly 74,000 and 106,000 airborne microplastic particles per year, respectively, through breathing, swallowing dust, and skin contact. The researchers also found a concerning link between microplastic characteristics and the disease-causing potential of airborne bacteria, suggesting that microplastics in the air may carry health risks beyond the particles themselves.
Nano-sized microplastics exposure induces skin cell senescence via triggering the mitochondrial localization of GSDMD
Researchers found that nano-sized microplastics enter skin cells and trigger premature aging (senescence) by damaging the energy-producing structures inside cells (mitochondria) and activating inflammatory pathways. This study suggests that microplastic exposure could accelerate skin aging and inflammation, adding to concerns about the health effects of plastic pollution on organs exposed to the environment.
The alarming link between environmental microplastics and health hazards with special emphasis on cancer
This review describes how microplastics enter the human body through the nose, skin, and mouth, then penetrate cells where they can alter gene expression, fuel inflammation, disrupt hormone signaling, and promote uncontrolled cell growth. Studies have linked microplastic exposure to cancers of the lungs, blood, breast, prostate, and ovaries, though the precise molecular mechanisms still need further investigation.
Evaluation of size-dependent uptake, transport and cytotoxicity of polystyrene microplastic in a blood-brain barrier (BBB) model
Using a lab model of the blood-brain barrier, researchers found that smaller microplastics (0.2 micrometers) crossed into brain tissue far more readily than larger ones, increasing barrier permeability by up to 27 times after 72 hours. This suggests that the tiniest microplastics may pose the greatest risk to brain health, especially when inflammation is already present.
Effects of microplastics on the kidneys: a narrative review
This review summarizes growing evidence that microplastics can accumulate in the kidneys, where they may trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular damage that could worsen kidney function. People with chronic kidney disease may be especially vulnerable because impaired kidney filtration could allow microplastics to build up more readily in their bodies.