Papers

130 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics in Asian rivers: Geographical distribution, most detected types, and inconsistency in methodologies

A systematic review of 228 studies on microplastics in Asian rivers found polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET as the dominant polymers, primarily as fibers and fragments, with research concentrated in China and Japan. The diversity of sampling methods and reporting metrics across studies complicates comparative analysis, underscoring the need for standardized analytical frameworks in the region.

2024 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics act as endocrine disruptors altering neurotransmitter levels and locomotor activity via estrogen receptor during early zebrafish development

Researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics act as endocrine disruptors in developing zebrafish by activating estrogen receptor pathways, causing reduced dopamine neuron area, increased brain cell death, and impaired movement — effects that were reversed when the estrogen receptor was blocked.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause developmental abnormalities, oxidative damage and immune toxicity in early zebrafish development

Zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed dose-dependent developmental problems including delayed hatching, reduced survival, smaller body size, and the nanoplastics accumulated in critical organs like the eyes, heart, liver, and brain. The particles triggered oxidative stress that damaged cells and activated inflammatory immune responses, demonstrating how nanoplastic contamination in water can cause widespread harm to developing organisms.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Vitamin E Mitigates Polystyrene-Nanoplastic-Induced Visual Dysfunction in Zebrafish Larvae

Researchers found that vitamin E, a common antioxidant, can protect against vision damage caused by polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish larvae. The nanoplastics caused eye defects and visual impairment by triggering harmful oxidative stress, but vitamin E treatment significantly reduced this damage, suggesting antioxidants might help counteract some harmful effects of nanoplastic exposure.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 13 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of the effects of airborne microplastic contamination on human lungs

This systematic review summarizes research showing that airborne microplastics have a negative effect on human lungs. Humans are estimated to inhale roughly 100,000 fine plastic particles every day, and the evidence suggests this exposure contributes to respiratory health problems, underscoring the need for policies to reduce plastic pollution in the air we breathe.

2024 African Journal of Reproductive Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in human food chains: Food becoming a threat to health safety

This review traces how microplastics enter the human food chain through both animal and plant sources, food packaging, and beverages. Once consumed, microplastics can accumulate in tissues and release harmful chemicals like plasticizers and heavy metals inside the body. The study emphasizes that food has become a major exposure pathway for microplastics and calls for stricter regulation of plastic use in food production and packaging.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 542 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in green mussels (Perna viridis Linnaeus, 1858) from traditional seafood markets in Jakarta, Indonesia, and an evaluation of potential hazards

Researchers examined green mussels sold at traditional seafood markets in Jakarta, Indonesia, and found microplastic contamination in every sample tested. The most common types were black fibers made of polymers like rayon and polyethylene, with chemical analysis revealing potentially harmful additives. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate particles from seawater, eating contaminated shellfish is a direct route for microplastic exposure in humans.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

The Effect of Subchronic Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure on Pulmonary Fibrosis Through Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in Wistar Rats

This animal study found that breathing in polyethylene microplastics over several weeks led to lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) in rats by triggering inflammatory immune responses. The results suggest that chronic inhalation of airborne microplastics could contribute to serious lung damage in humans, since we breathe in thousands of plastic particles daily.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The presence and physico-chemical properties of microplastics in seawater, sediment, and several organs of the spotted scat fish (Scatophagus argus, Linnaeus, 1766) collected from different locations along the East Java coast in Indonesia

Scientists examined microplastic contamination in seawater, sediments, and spotted scat fish along the East Java coast in Indonesia. Microplastics were found in every sample, including in the fish's gills, stomach, and intestines, with fibers being the most common type. Since these fish are consumed by local communities, the presence of microplastics throughout their organs raises questions about human dietary exposure through Indonesian seafood.

2024 Chemosphere 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the microplastics in bivalves and water column at Pantai Teluk Likas, North Borneo, Malaysia

Researchers found microplastics in all three species of shellfish and in the surrounding water at a popular beach in Sabah, Malaysia. One clam species contained over 113 microplastic particles per gram, primarily fibers made of common plastics like nylon and polypropylene. Since these shellfish are eaten by local communities, the contamination raises concerns about human exposure to microplastics through seafood consumption.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Malaysian bottled water brands: Occurrence and potential human exposure

Researchers tested eight major bottled water brands sold in Malaysia and found microplastic particles in all of them, with concentrations varying significantly between brands. The most common types were fragments and fibers made of polyethylene and polypropylene. The study estimates daily microplastic intake from bottled water consumption and highlights the need for quality standards addressing microplastic contamination in drinking water.

2022 Environmental Pollution 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Human Stools, Foods, and Drinking Water Associated with Indonesian Coastal Population

Researchers detected microplastics in the stool samples of more than half of the fishing community members tested in coastal Indonesia, with high-density polyethylene being the most common type found. Microplastics were also found in the seafood, staple foods, drinking water, table salt, and toothpaste regularly consumed by these participants. The study provides direct evidence that microplastics are entering the human body through multiple everyday sources in coastal populations.

2021 Environments 134 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Systematic Review of Sterile Intrauterine Inflammation, Immune-Metabolic Cues, and Epigenetic Programming: The Hidden Path to Preterm Birth

This systematic review of 48 studies identified four converging mechanisms driving preterm birth without infection: alarmin/inflammasome signaling, obesity-related metabolic disruption, environmental exposures (including microplastics, PFAS, and particulate matter), and gut/reproductive microbiota alterations. Microplastics are highlighted as a newly described environmental contributor to preterm birth through oxidative stress and epigenetic disruption.

2025 Journal of advanced health research & clinical medicine.
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Contamination in the Kalirejo Coastal Area, East Java, Indonesia and their Presence in Green Mussels (Perna viridis)

Researchers surveyed the waters and green mussels along the Kalirejo coast in East Java, Indonesia, and found microplastics in all samples, with higher concentrations at shallower depths. Polyethylene fragments were the most common type, and there was a strong correlation between microplastic levels in the water and in mussel tissues, indicating the animals absorb plastics directly from their environment. The findings raise concerns about both ecological impacts and potential health risks from consuming contaminated shellfish in this major mussel farming region.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4 citations
Review Tier 2

Systematic Literature Review: The Presence of Microplastics in the Body and their Impact on Human Health

This systematic review examined evidence on where microplastics accumulate in the human body and what health effects they may cause. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in various human tissues and can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Evidence indicates that microplastics may trigger oxidative stress and inflammation, with potential effects on the digestive, respiratory, reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems.

2025 Journal of Ecohumanism 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in green mussels (Perna viridis Linnaeus, 1758) collected from the traditional fish markets along the East Java coast of Indonesia and the associated risk assessment

Researchers analyzed green mussels from five traditional fish markets along the East Java coast of Indonesia and found microplastic contamination in all samples, primarily in the form of fibers and fragments smaller than 500 micrometers. The polymer hazard index ranged from high to very high across all market locations, and various harmful chemicals associated with plastic production were detected in the mussel tissues. The findings raise health concerns for communities that regularly consume these mussels as a dietary staple.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics and associated metals in green mussel cultivation: Estimation of potential health risks

Researchers examined 120 green mussels from Jakarta and found microplastics in every single sample, with an average of 18 particles per mussel along with aluminum and lead contamination on particle surfaces. The study identified 15 different polymer types, some classified at hazard levels considered dangerous to human health. Based on consumption patterns, the estimated annual human intake of microplastics from these mussels ranged from about 10,000 to 76,000 particles across different age groups.

2025 Chemosphere 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Developmental cardiovascular disruption triggered by polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish mediated through oxidative stress

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics and observed disrupted heart development, including abnormal heart rate, swelling around the heart, and impaired blood vessel formation. The damage was linked to oxidative stress, and treatment with the antioxidant glutathione significantly reduced the harmful effects. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in waterways may pose risks to cardiovascular development and that antioxidant-based strategies could help counteract the damage.

2025 Life Sciences 3 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Environmental, Maternal and Placental Vascular Determinants of Foetal Growth Restriction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Maternal–uteroplacental Microvascular Continuum

This systematic review found that foetal growth restriction arises along a maternal-uteroplacental vascular continuum, with environmental exposures including microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals contributing additional vascular stress. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure during pregnancy may compound other risk factors for impaired fetal development.

2025 Journal of Advanced Trends in Medical Research
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Cytokine Levels and Reproductive System of Male Tilapia

Researchers fed male tilapia fish different doses of polystyrene nanoplastics for 25 days and examined the effects on their reproductive systems. While inflammatory markers in the blood were not significantly affected, the nanoplastics caused a notable reduction in the number of sperm-producing cells in testicular tissue. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may pose risks to reproductive health in fish even without triggering obvious immune responses.

2024 Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic on Human Gut Microbiome: Detection of Plastic-Degrading Genes in Human Gut Exposed to Microplastics—Preliminary Study

Researchers analyzed stool samples from Indonesian coastal and highland populations to examine the relationship between microplastic contamination and gut microbiome composition. While microplastics did not significantly alter overall gut microbial diversity, specific plastic types correlated with changes in certain bacterial genera including Roseburia and Prevotella. Notably, the study detected genes encoding plastic-degrading enzymes in the human gut microbiome for the first time, suggesting the gut microbial community may be adapting to microplastic exposure.

2022 Environments 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Wistar Rats Hippocampal Neurons Response to Blood Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics: A Pathway Analysis of SOD, CAT, MDA, 8-OHdG Expression in Hippocampal Neurons and Blood Serum Aβ42 Levels

Researchers investigated the effects of blood-borne low-density polyethylene microplastics on hippocampal neurons in Wistar rats. Pathway analysis showed that microplastic particles in the blood significantly affected hippocampal neurons, with changes observed in oxidative stress markers SOD, CAT, MDA, and 8-OHdG expression as well as blood serum amyloid-beta 42 levels.

2023 Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract and Daily Consumables Associated with an Indonesian Farming Community

Researchers detected microplastics in 7 out of 11 stool samples from members of a farming community in East Java, Indonesia, with polypropylene being the most common polymer type. They also found microplastic contamination in the community's daily consumables including drinking water, tofu, and salt. The study provides some of the first data on human microplastic exposure in an Indonesian rural population.

2021 Sustainability 95 citations