Papers

61,005 results
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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

The potential effects of microplastics on human health: What is known and what is unknown

This review summarizes what is currently known about how microplastics might affect human health, noting that while contamination is widespread in food, water, and air, direct evidence of harm in humans is still limited. Studies in animals and cell cultures suggest microplastics could trigger immune responses, cause inflammation, and affect reproduction and development. The authors call for more rigorous clinical studies to determine whether the levels of microplastics that people actually encounter pose real health risks.

2021 AMBIO 419 citations
Review Tier 2

Environmental exposure to microplastics: a scoping review on potential human health effects and knowledge gaps

This scoping review searched multiple academic databases to synthesize evidence on potential human health effects of microplastic exposure. The authors found that while microplastics are omnipresent in human environments, direct evidence of health harm in humans remains limited, with significant knowledge gaps in long-term exposure effects and dose-response relationships.

2020 BLDE University Journal of Health Sciences 3 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impact of Microplastics on Global Public Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to assess how microplastics affect human health. It finds that people are widely exposed through contaminated food, water, and air, and that animal studies link microplastics to oxidative stress, immune disruption, and hormone interference. However, direct human health effects still need more long-term research to confirm.

2025 Preprints.org
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics and Their Human Health Effects - Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews in Research of Microplastics

This systematic review of systematic reviews provides an overview of what is known about microplastics and human health. The research found that while microplastics are confirmed to be present in the human body, the specific health effects linked to different plastic types remain poorly understood. The study highlights that this field is still young and calls for more research to clarify the true health risks of daily microplastic exposure.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Impacts on the Environment and Human Health

This review covers what is currently known about microplastic pollution's effects on both the environment and human health, summarizing evidence from studies on wildlife, ecosystems, and human exposure pathways. The authors note that while concern is growing, definitive conclusions about human health risks remain elusive due to limited clinical research.

2021 DigiNole (Florida State University)
Review Tier 2

Environmental exposure to microplastics: a scoping review on human health effects

This scoping review systematically examined published evidence on the health effects of microplastic exposure in humans. It found that human exposure is certain and widespread, but that data on dose-response relationships and specific health outcomes are still limited — highlighting an urgent need for rigorous human health studies.

2020 ISEE Conference Abstracts
Review Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Environmental Determinants of Human Health: A Narrative Review

This narrative review explores evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to potential adverse health outcomes across multiple organ systems. Researchers found that increasing experimental and observational data suggest these particles may be associated with harmful biological effects. The review calls for further research to clarify the clinical significance of microplastic exposure for public health.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Plastic and Human Health: A Micro Issue?

This review evaluates the potential human health impacts of microplastic exposure through food and air, drawing on evidence from particle toxicology and related fields. Researchers note that if inhaled or ingested, microplastics could accumulate in tissues and cause localized inflammation, while chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants may leach out and cause additional toxic effects. The paper emphasizes that chronic, long-term exposure is likely the greater concern, though current data on actual human exposure levels remains limited.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 3060 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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review of Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Clinical Outcomes

This systematic review found that microplastics have been detected in human blood, placental tissue, and gastrointestinal samples, with proposed health mechanisms including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, and gut microbiome alterations. While direct clinical evidence remains limited, the accumulating laboratory and observational data point to microplastics as a plausible contributor to multiple disease pathways.

2025 Cureus
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on human health: exposure mechanisms and potential health implications

This review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, drinking water, and inhaled air, and summarizes what is known about their potential health effects. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in human stool samples, blood, and lung tissue, and may carry harmful chemicals and pathogens. The study highlights that while evidence of direct health impacts is still emerging, the widespread presence of microplastics in everyday exposure pathways warrants serious attention.

2024 Quality in Sport 7 citations
Review Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Environmental Determinants of Human Health: A Narrative Review

This narrative review explores the existing evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to potential health-related outcomes across multiple organ systems. Researchers found increasing experimental and observational evidence indicating that exposure to these particles may be associated with adverse biological effects. The review highlights the need for further clinical research to understand the full scope of microplastic impacts on human health.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions

This review summarizes current evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and the cellular damage they may cause. While microplastic pollution is a recognized environmental hazard, the authors note that definitive evidence linking plastic particle exposure to specific health outcomes in humans is still limited and more realistic exposure studies are needed.

2025 Emerging contaminants 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Multiple Effects, Pathways, and Potential Health Risks from Environmental Microplastic Exposure

This review synthesizes nearly two decades of research on the multiple pathways through which environmental microplastics affect human and ecological health, including chemical toxicity, physical impacts, and potential roles as carriers of pathogens and contaminants.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Possible effects of microplastics on human health

This book chapter reviews possible effects of microplastics on human health, drawing on research conducted primarily in marine and freshwater environments. It discusses how microplastics enter the human body through water, food, and air, and calls for more research to close critical knowledge gaps about long-term health consequences.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks 2 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks

This review synthesizes data on human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics through air, water, and food, and examines the potential health effects. Researchers found evidence of respiratory, liver, immune, and gastrointestinal impacts in humans and mammals exposed to elevated plastic particle levels, with toxicity varying by plastic type and size. The study highlights that while growing evidence links plastic particle exposure to health concerns, significant data gaps remain in quantifying actual human intake and long-term risks.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 203 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Their Impact on Human Health

This review summarized current research on microplastic distribution in the environment, human exposure pathways, toxicological effects, and the emerging legal frameworks designed to address microplastic pollution. Growing evidence links microplastic exposure to a range of health concerns, though regulatory responses are still developing.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Public Health: Education for Patients and the Public

This patient education paper explains what microplastics are, how people are exposed to them through food, water, and air, and what preliminary evidence suggests about health effects. It is designed to help clinicians communicate current knowledge to patients in accessible language.

2024 Exon Publications eBooks
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Microplastic on Human Health

This review synthesized evidence on microplastic exposure pathways and health effects in humans, finding that microplastics enter the body via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact and are associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity, and endocrine disruption.

2021 Current Biotechnology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Human Health: A Comprehensive Review

This comprehensive review examines how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, and air, and what health effects they may cause. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can accumulate in the body and may contribute to inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of gut bacteria. The study suggests that more research is needed to fully understand the long-term health implications of ongoing human exposure to microplastics.

2024 Journal of Preventive Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies in Medicine 8 citations
Review Tier 2

Knowledge gaps on micro and nanoplastics and human health: A critical review

This critical review assessed current evidence on micro- and nanoplastic exposure and human health, concluding that while humans are ubiquitously exposed via food, water, and air, the long-term health effects of chronic low-level exposure remain poorly understood.

2021 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: State of the evidence on health effects and public perception

This brief overview notes that current scientific evidence does not yet allow definitive conclusions about the health effects of microplastics on humans. The information is intended to help physicians counsel patients on this emerging topic. The study reflects the early state of research in this area, where more data is needed before firm health guidance can be established.

2025 Deutsches Ärzteblatt international 1 citations