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
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

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
Systematic Review Tier 1

The current status of studies of human exposure assessment of microplastics and their health effects: a rapid systematic review

This rapid systematic review summarizes what is known about human exposure to microplastics and potential health effects based on studies published from 2000 to 2019. The researchers found that there is no standardized method for measuring microplastic exposure in humans, making it difficult to compare studies or draw firm conclusions. Despite the gaps, the available evidence suggests that people are regularly exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air, and more research is urgently needed on health effects.

2021 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 38 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

Microplastics: challenges of assessment in biological samples and their implication for in vitro and in vivo effects

This review examines the challenges of detecting and assessing microplastics in biological samples, noting that analytical limitations and lack of standardized methods hinder our understanding of health effects. The study highlights that humans are exposed to microplastics primarily through ingestion and inhalation, and that more long-term studies with standardized protocols are needed to understand the full scope of potential biological impacts.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Getting a grip on microplastics’ risks

This review examines the current state of microplastic risk assessment, noting that tiny plastic particles have been detected in water, food, air, human blood, lung tissue, and stool, yet their risks to human health and the environment remain unclear. The authors draw parallels with challenges faced in nanotoxicology and discuss how lessons from that field could improve methods for studying microplastic toxicity and exposure.

2022 C&EN Global Enterprise 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics: Exposure and toxicological effects require important analysis considerations

This review highlights that while microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in human tissues and linked to several diseases, the actual toxic effects are still unclear because researchers use very different methods to study them. The authors call for standardized testing approaches so that results can be compared reliably, which is critical for determining what levels of exposure actually pose a risk to human health.

2024 Heliyon 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in humans: Current evidence of presence and their role in organ toxicity

This comprehensive review examined how microplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, dermal absorption, and maternal-fetal transfer, summarizing documented evidence of MP presence and toxic effects across multiple organs.

2025 International Journal of Biology Sciences
Article Tier 2

Review of Recent Advances in Microplastic Ecological Risk Assessment: From Problem Formulation to Risk Characterization

This review of existing research shows that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are contaminating our environment and food chain, carrying harmful chemicals and pollutants that can end up in our bodies. Scientists still don't fully understand how dangerous these microplastics are to human health or how they move through the food we eat, from fish to drinking water. The researchers say we need better methods to study these risks so we can protect people and create policies to reduce plastic pollution.

2026 Microplastics
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
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

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
Article Tier 2

Understanding Human Health Impacts Following Microplastic Exposure Necessitates Standardized Protocols

This overview examines the methods currently used to study how microplastics affect human health, highlighting significant inconsistencies in experimental approaches. Researchers identified challenges including the lack of standardized reference materials, variability in exposure conditions, and limited understanding of how microplastic doses translate to real-world exposure. The study proposes solutions to standardize protocols so that future research builds on a more reliable foundation.

2024 Current Protocols 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Should we be worried about the microplastics in our bodies?

This accessible overview article asked whether people should be concerned about microplastics found in human bodies, summarizing current evidence on bodily accumulation, potential health effects, and the limits of current knowledge. It concluded that while the science is developing, precautionary concern is warranted.

2024 C&EN Global Enterprise
Article Tier 2

[Clinical impact of microplastic exposure in humans].

This German-language clinical review summarized current knowledge on microplastic exposure pathways, health risks, and the World Health Organization's assessment of this topic. The authors noted significant gaps in measuring microplastics in the human body and called for improved methods to assess clinical impacts, particularly links to infectious disease.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

From Environment to Body: Microplastics' Sources, Pathways, and Health Repercussions

This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, air, and skin contact. Researchers found evidence that these particles may cause physical damage, chemical toxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress in biological systems. The study highlights significant gaps in understanding the long-term health implications of chronic microplastic exposure in humans.

2024 Journal of Education Health and Sport 3 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification and Quantification in Biological Samples

This review examines methods for identifying and quantifying microplastics in biological samples, noting the urgent need for standardized protocols as plastic particles accumulate in marine, terrestrial, and human environments. The paper discusses human exposure routes through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, and highlights gaps in understanding microplastic effects on coagulation and other biological processes.

2024 Proceedings of IMPRS
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: challenges of assessment in biological samples and their implication for in vitro and in vivo effects

This review covers how microplastics enter the human body through ingestion and inhalation, the challenges of detecting and measuring them in biological samples, and the evidence for harmful effects ranging from inflammation to hormonal disruption. Standardising methods for measuring microplastics in tissues and bodily fluids is a key obstacle to advancing human health research. The review provides a useful framework for understanding what we know and what still needs to be established about microplastic risks to people.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
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

Health impacts and detection challenges of human exposure to microplastics

This review examined the health impacts of human exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics through ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption. Researchers found that these tiny particles pose significant health risks due to their ability to carry toxic contaminants and interact with biological tissues. The study also highlights major challenges in accurately detecting and measuring microplastic exposure in humans, which limits our understanding of the full scope of health effects.

2025 Cancer Plus 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastic pollution and human health risk assessment: current knowledge and future outlook

This review reports that people worldwide consume an estimated 11,845 to 193,200 microplastic particles per year, primarily through drinking water. Microplastics can accumulate in organs and cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and potential damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, but standardized methods for assessing these health risks in humans are still lacking.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on the Human Body and Methods of Detection

This review summarized how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and outlined current detection methods used to identify them in biological samples. The authors found that while evidence of tissue accumulation is growing, health effect thresholds and standardized exposure metrics are still lacking.

2025 Korea Industrial Technology Convergence Society