Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Plastics and Health

This paper discusses the health implications of plastic exposure, examining the growing body of evidence connecting plastics and their additives to human health outcomes.

2023 Journal of Midwifery & Women s Health 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental and health hazards of chemicals in plastic polymers and products

Researchers reviewed the environmental and health hazards of chemicals in plastic polymers and products, examining the toxicological profiles of monomers, additives, and degradation products that can leach from plastics into food, water, and the environment. The study identifies numerous plastic-associated chemicals with endocrine-disrupting, carcinogenic, or developmental toxicity potential and calls for more comprehensive safety testing of plastic formulations.

2011 Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University) 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution: why is it a public health problem?

This commentary argues that plastic pollution is a public health problem due to the widespread human exposure to microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals, calling for regulatory action to address the full lifecycle of plastics including production, use, and disposal.

2021 Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 17 citations
Review Tier 2

Plastics, microplastics, and human contamination: A literature review

This literature review synthesizes research on human contamination by plastics and microplastics, covering ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure routes and summarizing documented health effects across organ systems.

2024 Seven Editora eBooks
Article Tier 2

Waste plastic management: Recycling and the environmental health nexus

Researchers reviewed plastic recycling methods and their health and environmental trade-offs, finding that mechanical recycling releases microplastics that can enter the body through inhalation and ingestion, and calling for smarter waste management systems and reduced use of toxic plastic additives.

2024 Cleaner Materials 15 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Umbrella Review: Impact of plastic-associated chemical exposure on human health.

This umbrella review pools evidence from multiple systematic reviews to assess how chemicals associated with plastics affect human health. The research examines exposure to plastic-related chemicals through food, water, air, and consumer products. This is one of the most comprehensive looks at the health impacts of plastic chemical exposure, covering effects that range from hormonal disruption to developmental concerns.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of plastic consumer products: a biological, chemical and social-ecological analysis

This study analyzed the toxic chemicals found in consumer plastic products, including additives, monomers, and processing by-products that can leach into food or the environment. The findings highlight that plastic toxicity extends beyond microplastic particles themselves — the chemicals embedded in plastics pose significant health risks through food packaging and environmental contamination.

2021
Article Tier 2

Adverse Health Effects of Plastics

This review summarizes the adverse health effects associated with plastic exposure, including endocrine disruption, inflammation, and potential carcinogenicity from plastic additives and microplastic particles. It provides an accessible overview of mechanisms by which plastics can harm human health across multiple organ systems.

2020 International Journal of Global Science Research 2 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

Plastic Pollution and Its Effects on Human Health

This review examined how plastics enter the environment through poor disposal and fragmentation, then infiltrate food chains and human bodies via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. The authors summarized health risks from both microplastic particles and their associated chemical additives, calling for stronger global policy responses.

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

Plastic Pollution and Its Effects on Human Health

This review examined how plastics enter the environment through poor disposal and fragmentation, then infiltrate food chains and human bodies via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. The authors summarized health risks from both microplastic particles and their associated chemical additives, calling for stronger global policy responses.

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

Plastic Pollution and Its Effects on Human Health

This review examined how plastics enter the environment through poor disposal and fragmentation, then infiltrate food chains and human bodies via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. The authors summarized health risks from both microplastic particles and their associated chemical additives, calling for stronger global policy responses.

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

Plastics

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the plastic life cycle, covering the origins, ubiquity, and impacts of plastics on human health and ecosystems, and discussing actions individuals and societies can take to reduce plastic pollution.

2023 The MIT Press eBooks 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Pollution and Its Effects on Human Health

This review examined how plastics enter the environment through poor disposal and fragmentation, then infiltrate food chains and human bodies via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. The authors summarized health risks from both microplastic particles and their associated chemical additives, calling for stronger global policy responses.

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

Public Awareness Of Plastic Pollution And Perceived Risks To Human Health.

This study aims to assess public awareness of plastic pollution and its health impacts by surveying urban and semi-urban communities about their plastic use habits and self-reported health outcomes. Researchers plan to compare families using plastic food-contact materials with those using non-plastic alternatives to identify gaps in awareness and potential health differences linked to everyday plastic exposure.

2026
Article Tier 2

The Toxicity of Plastics

This review synthesized over 200 studies on plastic toxicity, examining the physical, chemical, and biological threats posed by macro- and microplastics to ecosystems and human health, including their ability to cross biological barriers and carry chemical contaminants.

2023 IntechOpen eBooks 4 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The plastic health map: A systematic evidence map of human health studies on plastic-associated chemicals

This systematic evidence map of over 3,500 human health studies found that while some plastic-associated chemicals like BPA and phthalates have been extensively studied, the vast majority of chemicals used in plastics have never been investigated for human health effects. The map reveals critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of how the thousands of chemicals in plastic products may affect human health.

2023 Environment International 72 citations
Article Tier 2

The Environmental Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics

Researchers reviewed how microplastics — tiny plastic particles found everywhere in the environment — can enter the body, accumulate in tissues, and disrupt the immune, digestive, and nervous systems, with exposure linked to hormonal imbalances, chronic disease, and cancer risk.

2025 Advances in Biology & Earth Sciences 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A community-based cross-sectional study exploring knowledge, attitude, and practice of adults towards the use and hazards of plastic products

A community-based cross-sectional study explored public knowledge, attitudes, and practices around plastic use and health risks, finding gaps in awareness of plastic chemical components despite widespread daily use. The authors recommend targeted public education to promote healthier and more sustainable plastic choices.

2023 The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine 5 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
Article Tier 2

A scoping review protocol on in vivo human plastic exposure and health impacts

Researchers registered a pre-planned protocol for a scoping review that will systematically map existing research on how humans are exposed to plastics in real life and what health effects have been observed in human studies. This type of pre-registration helps ensure transparent, rigorous scientific methods before the data collection begins.

2022 Systematic Reviews 8 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses Evaluating Associations between Human Health and Exposure to Major Classes of Plastic-Associated Chemicals

This umbrella review — a review of existing meta-analyses — assessed the health effects of chemicals found in plastics, including BPA, phthalates, and PFAS. The evidence links these plastic-associated chemicals to hormonal disruption, reproductive problems, metabolic issues, and increased cancer risk across many studies.

2024 Annals of Global Health 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of plastic products used in daily life on the environment and human health: What is known?

Researchers reviewed toxicity data for the most common plastics used in everyday products, finding that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most hazardous due to its monomer and additive chemistry, that additives are generally more toxic than the plastic monomers themselves, and that benzene, phthalates, and lead stabilizers pose the greatest risks to wildlife and humans.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 304 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