Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Toxicological impacts of microplastics on human health: a bibliometric analysis

This bibliometric analysis maps the growing body of research on microplastic toxicity and human health, focusing on effects in the gastrointestinal system. Researchers found a rapid increase in studies examining how microplastics deposited in the gut can enter the bloodstream and potentially trigger immune responses. The study highlights emerging research hotspots and identifies key gaps in our understanding of how microplastics affect human health.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Perspectives on the Toxic Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics on the Environment: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 2014 to 2023 Period

This bibliometric analysis mapped out a decade of research on the toxic effects of micro and nanoplastics, identifying key trends and knowledge gaps from 2014 to 2023. The field has grown rapidly, with studies increasingly focusing on how these tiny particles affect human health through oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut disruption. The review highlights that while environmental contamination is well documented, understanding of direct human health impacts is still developing.

2024 Toxics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and human health: A scientometric analysis

Researchers conducted a scientometric analysis of the scientific literature on microplastics and human health, mapping research trends and publication patterns. The study reveals a rapidly growing body of evidence exploring how ubiquitous microplastic contamination may affect human health, while identifying gaps in current research that need further investigation.

2025 Research Society and Development 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Global hotspots and trends in interactions of microplastics and heavy metals: a bibliometric analysis and literature review

This bibliometric review analyzed over 550 published studies on how microplastics interact with heavy metals in the environment. The research shows that microplastics can absorb heavy metals from surrounding water and soil, concentrating these toxic substances and carrying them into living organisms. This combined contamination is a growing concern for human health because microplastics may deliver concentrated doses of heavy metals into the body through food and water.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Trends, Spatio‐Temporal Dynamics of Microplastics Research and Global Public Health: A Scientometric Study

This scientometric study analyzes trends in microplastic research and its connection to public health, finding a rapid increase in published studies over recent years. The analysis maps how the field has grown globally and identifies key research themes connecting microplastics to human health concerns. The increasing volume of research reflects growing scientific recognition that microplastics are a significant public health issue.

2025 Health Science Reports 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Bibliometric analysis of microplastics research: Advances and future directions (2020–2024)

This bibliometric study analyzed trends in microplastics research from 2020 to 2024, finding a rapid increase in publications with growing specialization in areas like ecotoxicology, detection methods, and pollution control. Key research hotspots include microplastic effects on human health, interactions with other pollutants, and removal technologies. The analysis reveals that while the field is maturing rapidly, significant gaps remain in understanding real-world health impacts and developing effective remediation strategies.

2024 Continental Shelf Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Trends, challenges, and research pathways in emerging contaminants: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis

This large-scale bibliometric analysis reviewed over 62,000 studies on emerging contaminants published between 2000 and 2024, finding that microplastics are among the fastest-growing areas of environmental health research. The analysis highlights that understanding how microplastics interact with other pollutants like pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors is a critical frontier for protecting human health.

2025 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Global research hotspots and trends on microplastics: a bibliometric analysis

A bibliometric analysis of microplastics publications from 1990 to 2022 found a 19-fold increase in publications and 35-fold increase in citations since 2015, with research clustering around distribution, toxicity, analytical methods, and adsorption of co-pollutants.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The emerging issue of microplastics in marine environment: A bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2020

This bibliometric analysis of marine microplastic research from 2004 to 2020 revealed rapid growth in publications, identified key research themes and collaborations, and highlighted emerging topics including microplastic impacts on marine organisms and human health.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Review Tier 2

Research advances of microplastics and potential health risks of microplastics on terrestrial higher mammals: a bibliometric analysis and literature review

This review combines data analysis with a literature survey to map the rapid growth of microplastics research, noting a shift in focus from marine environments to land-based ecosystems and health risks in mammals, including humans. The review highlights that microplastics can accumulate in organs, trigger inflammation, disrupt hormones, and damage the gut and reproductive systems in animal studies. These findings underscore the urgency of understanding how chronic microplastic exposure may affect human health.

2023 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Scientometric analysis and identification of research trends in microplastic research for 2011–2019

This scientometric study analyzed microplastic research publications from 2011 to 2019, finding rapid growth in the field driven by increasing concern about marine organism impacts and human health risks, with aquatic ecosystem studies dominating and calls for more standardized methodologies across research groups.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Research Trends on Nanoplastics in Food: A Bibliometric Analysis of Human Health Concerns

A bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications from 2015 to 2024 examined global research trends on nanoplastics in food and human health. Publications increased sharply after 2019, with China as the top contributor, and identified gut toxicity, food packaging, and seawater contamination as the most active research clusters.

2025 Foods
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and Heavy Metal Toxicity: a Bibliometric Analysis on Marine Environment

This bibliometric study analyzed 147 Scopus publications on the combined marine toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals, mapping research trends using VOSviewer. The analysis found rapid growth in the field since 2015, with co-contamination studies and metal adsorption to plastic surfaces emerging as the most active research clusters.

2025 Journal of Sustainability Science and Management
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics-Based Insights Into the Toxicological Effects and Mechanisms of Microplastics: A Comprehensive Review.

This review of existing research shows that microplastics—tiny plastic particles found everywhere in our environment—can harm multiple body systems including the gut, brain, and reproductive organs. Scientists used a technique called metabolomics (studying how our body processes chemicals) to discover that microplastics disrupt normal metabolism, potentially affecting everything from digestion and brain function to fertility and child development. This research helps explain why microplastic pollution may be a serious health threat that requires urgent attention and solutions.

2026 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Insight into the Interaction Between Microplastics and Microorganisms Based on a Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis

A bibliometric and visualized analysis of research on microplastic-microorganism interactions identified rapid growth in this field and key themes including plastisphere formation, biodegradation potential, and microbial community changes driven by microplastic exposure.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Global trends and prospects in microplastics research: A bibliometric analysis

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of global microplastics research using the Web of Science database from 1986 to 2019. The study found that publications on microplastics increased significantly since 2011, with research hotspots and trends shifting from marine contamination surveys toward understanding ecological impacts and human health implications.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 234 citations
Article Tier 2

Human Exposure to Micro (Nano) Plastics and Their Potential Health Impact: A Scientometric Analysis

This scientometric analysis mapped the global research landscape on human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics from 2014 to 2024, identifying nearly 3,000 published studies. The study found a progressive increase in publications over the decade, with Chinese researchers playing a particularly prominent role, and highlights growing evidence linking plastic particle exposure to inflammation, endocrine disruption, and gastrointestinal effects.

2026 Advances in Research
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of microplastics on the intestinal microbiota: A systematic review of preclinical evidence

Across 28 preclinical studies, microplastics triggered intestinal dysbiosis characterized by increased Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and decreased Bacteroidetes, while increasing gut permeability and elevating pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6.

2022 Life Sciences 70 citations
Article Tier 2

How do humans recognize and face challenges of microplastic pollution in marine environments? A bibliometric analysis

Researchers performed a bibliometric analysis of 1,898 publications on marine microplastics, mapping research growth, collaboration networks, and thematic trends over time, and predicting that future research will increasingly focus on biological effects, human health impacts, and policy-relevant risk characterization.

2021 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Effect of microplastics and nanoplastics in gastrointestinal tract on gut health: A systematic review.

This systematic review provides the first comprehensive look at how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the human gut using laboratory models. The findings help explain how these tiny particles may damage the digestive tract lining and trigger inflammation, which is important for understanding the health risks of swallowing microplastics in food and water.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Health risk analysis of microplastics in soil in the 21st century: A scientometrics review

This bibliometric review mapped global research on health risks of microplastics in soil from 2001 to the present, finding a sharp increase in publications after 2016 and identifying plastic mulch, plastic waste, and sewage sludge as the most studied MP sources in soil. The review highlighted growing concern about dietary exposure through MPs taken up by food crops grown in contaminated soils.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota as an emerging target for the health implications of microplastics

This review examines how microplastic exposure disrupts the gut microbiome, finding evidence that microplastics damage intestinal barrier proteins, promote inflammation and oxidative stress, and may drive systemic effects including neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity through gut-mediated pathways.

2025 Food Science and Human Wellness
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Microplastics Menace: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2011 to 2023

A bibliometric analysis of microplastic research from 2011 to 2023 maps the rapid growth of this field, identifying bioaccumulation in marine organisms, ecological impacts, and detection techniques as areas with significant remaining knowledge gaps. The analysis highlights that while publication volume has surged, critical questions about long-term ecosystem effects and exposure risks remain underexplored, pointing to where future research investment is most needed.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Narrative Review of Potential Gastrointestinal Adverse Effects From Micro(nano) Plastic Exposure

This narrative review synthesizes evidence on gastrointestinal adverse effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure, examining how these particles interact with gut microbiota, mucosal barriers, and immune tissue to contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and colorectal cancer risk.

2025 Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology