Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of microplastics emissions in kitchens: Understanding the links with diseases in daily life

This systematic review examines how everyday kitchen items like non-stick pans, plastic cutting boards, and disposable utensils release microplastics into our food during normal use. The researchers found that kitchens are a major source of microplastic exposure and propose practical steps to reduce contamination, which could help lower the health risks tied to ingesting these tiny particles.

2024 Environment International 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Beyond the food on your plate: Investigating sources of microplastic contamination in home kitchens

This review highlights that kitchen tools and processes -- not just food itself -- are significant sources of microplastic exposure. Cutting boards, cooking utensils, food storage containers, and cleaning equipment all release microplastic particles through mechanical wear, heat, and chemical contact during everyday food preparation. The findings suggest that reducing microplastic intake requires attention to the entire kitchen environment, not just the food we buy.

2024 Heliyon 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, distribution, and incipient threats of polymeric microplastic released from food storage plastic materials

This review examines how common food storage materials such as plastic bags, bottles, and containers release microplastic particles into the food they hold. Researchers compiled data on the sources, quantities, and distribution patterns of these released particles across multiple countries. The study highlights that everyday food packaging represents a significant and often overlooked pathway for human microplastic exposure.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of Microplastics from Reusable Kitchen Plasticware and Generation of Thermal Potential Toxic Degradation Products in the Oven

Kitchen plasticware including containers and baking molds was tested for microplastic release during oven use, finding that heating generated both microplastic particles and potentially toxic thermal degradation products at levels dependent on material type and temperature. The results identify reusable kitchen plastics as an underappreciated source of microplastic and chemical exposure during everyday cooking.

2022 Applied Sciences 17 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

A Hidden Pathway for Human Exposure to Micro- and Nanoplastics—The Mechanical Fragmentation of Plastic Products during Daily Use

This review examines a commonly overlooked source of human microplastic exposure: the mechanical wear and fragmentation of everyday plastic products during normal use. Researchers found that activities like opening containers, using cutting boards, and handling plastic items release significant quantities of micro- and nanoplastics directly into our immediate environment. The study highlights that this daily fragmentation pathway may contribute more to personal microplastic exposure than previously appreciated.

2023 Toxics 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and human health: unraveling the toxicological pathways and implications for public health

This review pulls together recent research on how microplastics enter the human body and cause cellular damage through inflammation, oxidative stress, and direct cell injury. The authors highlight that microplastics can also amplify the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants they carry, creating combined health risks that are greater than either threat alone.

2025 Frontiers in Public Health 11 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics And Nanoplastics: Environmental Sources, Human Exposure Pathways, And Potential Health Impacts

This systematic review maps out the many ways microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body, including through food, water, air, and everyday products. The researchers found these tiny particles are now present in nearly every environment, from oceans to our homes. The review highlights growing concerns about what this constant low-level exposure might mean for our long-term health.

2024 Revista Electronica de Veterinaria
Article Tier 2

Potential risk assessment and toxicological impacts of nano/micro-plastics on human health through food products

This review examined the potential risks and toxicological effects of nano- and microplastics on human health through food products, identifying key contamination sources in the food chain and their harmful impacts on the body.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Health Concerning Cellular Toxicity Mechanisms, Exposure Pathways, and Global Mitigation Strategies

This review synthesizes current knowledge on how micro- and nanoplastics cause cellular damage in the human body, covering mechanisms like oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and disruption of cell signaling pathways. Researchers note that exposure occurs through multiple routes including ingestion and inhalation, allowing particles to reach organs throughout the body. The study highlights significant gaps in understanding long-term and low-dose exposure effects that are most relevant to everyday human contact with these particles.

2025 Life 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence, contamination, and effects on human health—a critical review

This critical review examined the occurrence of microplastics in the food chain and their potential effects on human health. The authors found that microplastics enter the body through food packaging and bioaccumulation in animals and plants, and may contribute to oxidative stress and immune system disruption. The review emphasizes the need for greater understanding of microplastic toxicity mechanisms in humans.

2024 Microplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of microplastics in the indoor environment: Distribution, human exposure and potential health impacts

This review comprehensively analyzes microplastic contamination in indoor environments, where most people spend the majority of their time. Researchers found that indoor exposure to microplastics comes from multiple sources including dust, air, drinking water, and food, with finer particles posing the greatest concern because they can enter the bloodstream and organs. The findings suggest that indoor microplastic exposure represents a meaningful but understudied health risk that requires further research into mitigation strategies.

2023 Chemosphere 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Food Processing: Role of Packaging Materials

This review examines how food packaging materials release microplastics into food products during production, storage, and transportation. Plastic containers, films, and wraps can shed tiny particles through mechanical wear, heat exposure, and chemical interactions with food. The findings highlight that packaging is a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic contamination in the food we eat.

2024 Food Science and Engineering 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic: Its Effect on Human Health

This review outlines how microplastics from single-use packaging, bottles, and consumer goods enter the food chain through ingestion and inhalation, serving as carriers for toxic chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants that pose risks to human health.

2023 Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics and Human Health: A Comprehensive Review on Exposure Pathways, Toxicity, and Emerging Risks

This comprehensive review examines microplastic exposure pathways in humans, methods of detection, and the potential toxic effects on various biological systems. The study highlights growing evidence that microplastics can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, and may affect multiple organ systems, though significant uncertainties remain about long-term health outcomes.

2026 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Micro (nano) Plastics Released from Plastic Food Containers

Researchers found that plastic food containers release micro- and nanoplastics into food under both hot-water and microwave heating, with the quantity increasing with repeated reuse, raising concerns about dietary exposure from everyday kitchen plastics.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Growing concerns over ingested microplastics in humans

This paper reviews the growing body of evidence showing that microplastics have been found in various human tissues, raising public health concerns. Researchers note that while laboratory studies demonstrate microplastics can cause cellular damage, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding dose-response relationships, specific target organs, and underlying toxicological mechanisms. The study calls for improved detection technologies and thorough risk assessments to better understand the real-world health implications.

2025 Carbon Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Safety Issues of Microplastics Released from Food Contact Materials

This review examined safety concerns about microplastics migrating from food contact materials (packaging, containers, bottles) into food and beverages, finding evidence of human exposure through ingestion and highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks addressing plastic particle migration.

2023 Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Food Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic materials used in the food industry, their influence on health, and potential solutions

This review examines how plastics used in food packaging gradually degrade into microplastics that leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks to consumers. It surveys the main plastic types used in the food industry, the health concerns associated with microplastic and additive exposure, and proposed solutions including biodegradable alternatives. The findings underscore that everyday food packaging is a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for the general public.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

Are Microplastics a Macro Issue? A Review on the Sources of Contamination, Analytical Challenges and Impact on Human Health of Microplastics in Food

This systematic review examines how microplastics enter the human food supply and what health effects they may cause. The research found microplastics in a wide range of foods, but major inconsistencies in testing methods make it difficult to determine true contamination levels. While the full health impact remains unclear, the evidence suggests that microplastic exposure through food is widespread and warrants further study.

2023 Foods 14 citations
Review Tier 2

Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics are found throughout the environment and in human samples, entering the body through food, air, and skin contact. Lab studies in cells and animals show microplastics can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, immune reactions, brain toxicity, and reproductive harm, and early human health data links microplastic exposure to several chronic diseases.

2023 Environment & Health 519 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Micro and Nanoplastics in Modern Food Chain: an Inevitable Intervention

This review examines the growing presence of microplastics and nanoplastics throughout the modern food chain, summarizing known entry points, concentrations in food commodities, and potential health consequences of regular human dietary exposure.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Threat of Food Contamination by Microplastics and its Influence on Safety and Human Perspective

Researchers reviewed how widespread plastic use across industry has made microplastic contamination of food a serious public health concern, with particles entering the food supply through environmental pathways including runoff, wastewater, and air. Addressing this threat requires tighter regulations, better food supply monitoring, and public education on exposure risks.

2025 International Journal of Advanced Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Health implications of microplastic exposure and sustainable solutions

This review explores the various pathways by which microplastics contaminate aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through human activities, and how they accumulate in the food chain. Researchers summarize the health implications of microplastic exposure through mechanisms like oxidative stress, gut microbiome disruption, and inflammation. The study emphasizes the need for standardized detection methods and stronger regulatory frameworks to address microplastic contamination in the human food supply.

2026 Environmental Sciences Europe