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Papers
1,981 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.
Systematic review of microplastics and nanoplastics in indoor and outdoor air: identifying a framework and data needs for quantifying human inhalation exposures
This systematic review is the first to examine microplastic levels in both indoor and outdoor air and estimate how much people inhale. The findings suggest we are breathing in microplastic particles daily, with indoor air often containing higher concentrations due to synthetic textiles and household materials.
Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review
This systematic review examined studies on how microplastic exposure affects human digestive, reproductive, and respiratory health. Early evidence suggests links to gut inflammation, reproductive issues, and lung irritation, though the review notes that more high-quality human studies are urgently needed.
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.
Health impacts of microplastic and nanoplastic exposure
This review examines the growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross barriers in the lungs and gut, enter the bloodstream, and reach organs like the brain, placenta, and reproductive system. Early clinical studies suggest links to immune changes, heart problems, and reproductive effects, though more research is needed. Better methods for measuring plastic exposure in humans are critical to understanding the true health risks.
Assessing the Impact of Nanoplastics in Biological Systems: Systematic Review of In Vitro Animal Studies
This systematic review of lab studies found that nanoplastics can damage cells in the gut, lungs, liver, brain, and reproductive organs of animals. These ultra-small plastic particles appear capable of crossing biological barriers and causing inflammation and oxidative stress, raising concerns about similar effects in humans.
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.
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.
Micro- and nano-plastics in the atmosphere: A review of occurrence, properties and human health risks
This review summarizes research on tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe, both indoors and outdoors. Studies show that inhaling these airborne microplastics and nanoplastics can trigger immune responses, oxidative stress, and cell death, potentially contributing to cardiovascular disease and reproductive problems, though standardized testing methods are still needed.
Microplastic diagnostics in humans: “The 3Ps” Progress, problems, and prospects
Microplastics have now been detected in a wide range of human biological samples including blood, liver, lung, placenta, kidney, spleen, sputum, and feces using advanced analytical methods. This first systematic review of human microplastic diagnostics revealed that contamination control procedures remain inconsistent across studies, complicating cross-study comparison of exposure levels.
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.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation as a novel mechanism of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs)-induced pulmonary inflammation in chickens
Researchers exposed chickens to polystyrene microplastics for 42 days and found significant lung damage, including tissue inflammation and cell stress responses. The microplastics triggered a chain reaction starting with stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (a cell structure involved in protein processing) that activated inflammatory pathways. While this study focused on poultry, similar inflammatory mechanisms could be relevant to understanding how microplastics affect lungs in other species, including humans.
Effect of microplastics deposition on human lung airways: A review with computational benefits and challenges
This review examines how microplastics deposited in human lungs can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced lung function. Because these tiny particles can reach deep into the lungs where oxygen enters the blood, they raise concerns about long-term respiratory disease and the possibility of spreading to other organs.
Tissue accumulation of microplastics and potential health risks in human
Researchers analyzed human tissues and found microplastics in every sample tested, with lungs containing the highest concentration at about 14 particles per gram, followed by the small intestine, large intestine, and tonsils. PVC was the most common plastic type found, and women had significantly more microplastic particles than men, raising concerns about long-term health 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.
Microplastics in three types of human arteries detected by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS)
Researchers detected microplastics in all 17 human artery samples tested, including coronary arteries, carotid arteries, and the aorta. Arteries with atherosclerotic plaques (hardened, narrowed areas) contained significantly more microplastics than plaque-free arteries. This suggests that microplastic accumulation may be associated with atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries that is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
A review of potential human health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics exposure
This systematic review summarized 133 studies on how micro- and nanoplastics affect human health based on mammalian research. The evidence points to cell damage, inflammation, gut disruption, and reproductive harm, though most studies focused on polystyrene particles and more research is needed on other common plastic types.
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 in urine, sputum and lung lavage fluid from patients with respiratory illnesses
Researchers analyzed urine, sputum (mucus from coughing), and lung fluid from 30 patients with respiratory conditions in Iran and found microplastics in all three types of samples. Sputum contained the most particles (358 total), dominated by polyurethane fibers, while urine had the fewest (9 particles). The different types and sizes of plastics found in each fluid suggest the body sorts and distributes inhaled and ingested microplastics through different pathways.
Exposure to polyethylene terephthalate micro(nano)plastics exacerbates inflammation and fibrosis after myocardial infarction by reprogramming the gut and lung microbiota and metabolome
Researchers found that PET microplastics and nanoplastics, one of the most common plastic types found in human coronary blood, worsen heart damage after a heart attack. The plastic particles activated an inflammatory pathway (NLRP3) and disrupted the balance of gut and lung bacteria, leading to chronic inflammation and increased scarring of heart tissue. These findings suggest that plastic pollution exposure may make recovery from heart attacks more difficult.
The impaired response of nasal epithelial cells to microplastic stimulation in asthma and COPD
Researchers exposed nasal lining cells from healthy people, asthma patients, and COPD patients to polyamide microplastic fibers and found that diseased airways responded very differently than healthy ones. Asthma cells showed changes in cholesterol metabolism and stress responses, while COPD cells showed altered immune cell movement and signaling. This suggests that people with existing respiratory conditions are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of inhaled microplastic fibers.
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.
Assessing microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in bird lungs: evidence of ecological risks and bioindicator potential
Researchers examined the lungs of 51 bird species and found microplastics in all of them, averaging over 400 particles per gram of lung tissue, with nanoplastics also detected in five species tested. Birds may serve as early warning indicators of airborne plastic pollution, and the widespread contamination of their lungs suggests that humans breathing the same air face similar exposure risks.
Human exposure to PM10 microplastics in indoor air
Scientists measured airborne microplastics in homes and car cabins, finding that 94% of particles were smaller than 10 micrometers, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs. The estimated daily inhalation of these tiny particles was about 68,000 per day, roughly 100 times higher than previous estimates that only counted larger particles.