Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Nature Medicine 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics on Human Health and Diseases: Perspectives and Recent Advances

This review provides a comprehensive overview of how micro- and nanoplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption, and how they can then travel through the bloodstream to reach virtually every organ. Researchers summarize evidence that these particles can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of hormonal and immune functions. The study emphasizes that the ability of these particles to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues makes understanding their long-term health effects an urgent research priority.

2025 Microplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Penetration of micro/nanoplastics into biological barriers in organisms and associated health effects

This Chinese-language review systematically examined how micro- and nanoplastics penetrate gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin barriers in humans and model organisms, and how they translocate via blood circulation to accumulate in organs including the liver, brain, testes, and placenta.

2023 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Why Detecting Nanoplastics in Humans Matters: Exposure Routes, Biological Evidence, and Potential Health Implications

This review summarizes current evidence on nanoplastic detection in human biological samples, including blood, lung tissue, placenta, and brain samples, confirming that human exposure involves internal uptake rather than just environmental contact. The study discusses how ingestion and inhalation are the dominant exposure pathways, while experimental research suggests nanoplastics may induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption, though direct causal links in humans remain limited.

2026
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the toxicity of micro-nanoplastics: A systematic exploration of understanding environmental and health implications

This review summarizes what is known about the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics, noting they can cross critical barriers in the body including the blood-brain barrier. Studies in lab animals show these particles can cause DNA damage, oxidative stress, and cell death, with potential effects on the brain, heart, lungs, and skin, underscoring the need for more real-world human studies.

2024 Toxicology Reports 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure Pathways, Systemic Distribution, and Health Implications of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Humans

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin, then distribute to organs throughout the body. Research in animal and cell models shows these particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, brain toxicity, reproductive problems, and potentially cancer, though standardized methods for assessing real-world human health risks are still needed.

2025 Applied Sciences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health: Mechanistic insights and exposure pathways

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and deposit in tissues including the lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Evidence indicates these particles can cross embryonic layers and reach the placenta, and may cause inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic disruptions, and immune system effects upon interaction with biological tissues.

2025 Toxicology Letters 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Human and ecological health effects of nanoplastics: May not be a tiny problem

This review examined the health effects of nanoplastics in humans and ecosystems, finding that while direct human evidence is limited, nanoplastic particles cross biological barriers more readily than larger fragments and trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption in animal models, suggesting the problem is far from trivial.

2021 Current Opinion in Toxicology 12 citations
Review Tier 2

A review on microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment: Their occurrence, exposure routes, toxic studies, and potential effects on human health

This review summarizes what is known about how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and what they do once inside. Studies on cells and animals show these tiny particles can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and harm to the immune, digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems. The research makes clear that microplastics are not just an environmental problem but a direct concern for human health.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 379 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effects of Microplastics on Human Physiology: Mechanisms of Toxicity and Health Risks

This systematic review of 48 studies found that microplastics have been detected in human blood, placenta, and reproductive tissues, showing they can cross biological barriers. The most common harmful effects include oxidative stress, inflammation, hormonal disruption, and DNA damage, raising serious questions about long-term health consequences.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Unseen toxins: Exploring the human health consequences of micro and nanoplastics

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) damage the body after being ingested or inhaled, finding they can cross the gut, blood-brain, and placental barriers to accumulate in the liver, kidneys, and brain, causing inflammation and oxidative stress. Vulnerable groups like pregnant women and newborns face the greatest risk, including potential long-term neurological effects passed to future generations.

2025 Toxicology Reports 15 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Systemic Accumulation and Distribution of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Human Tissues and Their Impact on Health: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesizes human evidence on the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in body tissues and fluids, including blood, lungs, placenta, breast milk, and liver. The research confirms that plastic particles can cross biological barriers and accumulate in multiple organ systems. While the long-term health effects are still being studied, the widespread presence of plastics inside the human body raises significant health concerns.

2026 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastics on blood-brain barrier crossing and neurotoxicity: Current evidence and future perspectives

This review examines evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier, the protective shield around the brain, through multiple pathways including disrupting the barrier's tight junctions and being transported inside cells. Once in the brain, these particles may cause damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disrupted iron metabolism, with effects worsened when plastics carry other pollutants like heavy metals.

2025 NeuroToxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Micro- and Nanoplastics Driving Adverse Human Health Effects

This review examines the biological mechanisms by which micro- and nanoplastics may cause harm in humans, including oxidative stress, inflammation, disruption of protective barriers, and immune system problems. Evidence from lab and animal studies suggests these particles can affect the gut, heart, brain, and reproductive systems, though human data is still limited to detecting plastics in tissues rather than proving they cause specific diseases. The authors highlight that most studies use higher doses than people actually encounter, making it important to develop research models that better reflect real-world chronic exposure.

2025 Toxics 5 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A 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.

2023 Eco-Environment & Health 180 citations
Article Tier 2

Health Implications of Widespread Micro- and Nanoplastic Exposure: Environmental Prevalence, Mechanisms, and Biological Impact on Humans

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, then travel through the bloodstream to accumulate in various organs. Health effects range from immediate problems like pain and inflammation to long-term conditions including infertility, chronic lung disease, and potentially cancer, though the exact concentrations that build up in the body and the full extent of harm are still being studied.

2024 Toxics 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of microplastics in the body and interaction with biological barriers, and controlling of microplastics pollution

This review summarizes how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, and air, and what happens when they encounter the body's protective barriers like the gut lining, skin, and blood-brain barrier. Smaller microplastics can cross these barriers and accumulate in organs, potentially causing inflammation and other harmful effects. The review also covers emerging methods for removing microplastics from the environment to reduce human exposure.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro and Nanoplastics on Human Health and Diseases: Perspectives and Recent Advances

This review covers how micro- and nanoplastic particles enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, infusion, and skin absorption, distribute to virtually all tissues and organs via the circulatory system, and cause health impacts including inflammatory responses, cellular damage, and endocrine disruption.

2025 Preprints.org
Review Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics: origin, sources of intake and impact on human health (literature review)

This literature review synthesizes mechanisms by which micro- and nanoplastics interact with living organisms, examining their physicochemical properties, routes of human exposure, and documented health effects across multiple organ systems.

2025 Hygiene and Sanitation
Article Tier 2

Bridging the Gaps between Microplastics and Human Health

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through breathing, eating, drinking, skin contact, and even transfer from mother to fetus during pregnancy. Once inside, these particles can cross tissue barriers and potentially affect cellular processes important for fetal development. While the health effects are still being studied, the evidence so far points to real concerns about reproductive and developmental impacts from our daily plastic exposure.

2024 Microplastics 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and nanoplastic transfer, accumulation, and toxicity in humans

Researchers reviewed human exposure routes to micro- and nanoplastics — via air, water, and food — and summarized reported toxicological outcomes, identifying ingestion and inhalation as primary entry points and flagging oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption as key health concerns warranting further study.

2021 Current Opinion in Toxicology 72 citations
Review Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution: a review of specific blood-tissue barrier breaches and health effects

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics can breach the body's protective blood-tissue barriers -- including the blood-brain barrier, blood-testis barrier, and placental barrier -- to reach vulnerable organs. The evidence shows these particles can damage the tight junctions that normally protect organs, potentially allowing toxins to enter the brain, reproductive system, and developing fetus.

2025 Environmental Pollution 15 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of micro- and nanoplastic permeation in the human body

This critical review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter and move through the human body after exposure through food, beverages, and air. Researchers synthesized evidence showing these particles have been detected in multiple human tissues and organs, raising concerns about their potential long-term health effects from chronic environmental exposure.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics