Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Migration of microplastics from plastic packaging into foods and its potential threats on human health

This review examined how microplastics migrate from plastic food packaging into the foods we eat. Researchers found that factors like temperature, food acidity, and contact time increase the release of plastic particles and chemical additives from packaging materials. The study raises concerns about long-term health effects from daily microplastic exposure through packaged foods, including potential accumulation of harmful monomers in the body.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Food Container Safety.

Researchers reviewed the safety of plastic food containers, examining how stored food interacts with plastics, plasticizers, and chemical additives. They found that these containers are not completely inert and can leach varying levels of metals and chemicals into foods during storage. The study suggests that consumers should be aware of the potential for chemical migration from plastic containers, particularly under certain storage conditions.

2024 PubMed 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of Recent Issues in Food Safety of Packaging Materials : Regulatory Concerns and Scientific Findings

This review examines recent food safety concerns related to packaging materials, focusing on the migration of chemicals like bisphenol A, phthalates, and PVC from packaging into food, as well as microplastic ingestion risks. Researchers found that while major regulatory bodies have strengthened controls, regional differences in regulations and emerging technologies like biodegradable plastics and nanomaterials introduce new safety questions. The study highlights the need for continued scientific research into how packaging chemicals affect the endocrine system and human health.

2025 KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Migration of BPA and Phthalic Acid from Take-out Food Containers: Implications for Health and Environmental Sustainability in India

Researchers developed an analytical method to measure how much bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalic acid migrate from common plastic food containers into food simulants under realistic temperature conditions, finding that prolonged heat exposure substantially increased leaching — especially from polyethylene pouches. A microbial bioassay further confirmed the mutagenic potential of the migrated plasticizers, strengthening the evidence that plastic food packaging poses direct chemical risks to human health.

2023 Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences
Article Tier 2

Migration of (non-) intentionally added substances and microplastics from microwavable plastic food containers

Researchers investigated the migration of chemicals and microplastics from microwavable plastic food containers into food simulants. They identified 42 intentionally added substances and over 100 non-intentionally added substances that migrated from the containers, with migration rates being higher in fatty food simulants and decreasing with repeated use, raising questions about potential health risks from everyday microwave container usage.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 99 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic particles in medicine: A systematic review of exposure and effects to human health

Medical plastics including bags, containers, and administration sets release micro- and nanoplastics along with chemical additives that can interact with pharmaceutical constituents, creating an understudied route of direct human exposure. Both primary exposure (during medical treatment) and secondary environmental exposure (from hospital plastic waste disposal) represent potential health hazards.

2022 Chemosphere 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging

This review addresses the issue of hazardous chemicals migrating from plastic food packaging into food, including endocrine disrupters, carcinogens, and untested synthetic compounds. The author argues that current toxicity assessment methods for packaging chemicals are inadequate and that plastic packaging is an avoidable source of dietary chemical exposure. The study calls for systemic changes in how food packaging safety is regulated to address both plastic pollution and chemical contamination.

2021 PLoS Biology 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic materials used in the food industry, their influence on health, and potential solutions

This review examines how plastics used in food packaging gradually degrade into microplastics that leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks to consumers. It surveys the main plastic types used in the food industry, the health concerns associated with microplastic and additive exposure, and proposed solutions including biodegradable alternatives. The findings underscore that everyday food packaging is a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for the general public.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Nanoplastics in heat-sensitive food packaging: A review of migration, detection, health, and environmental impacts

This review examines how heating food in plastic packaging causes micro and nanoplastics to migrate into food, covering the mechanisms of release, detection methods, and health concerns. Heat accelerates the breakdown of plastic packaging, releasing particles and chemical additives that can be consumed along with the food. The authors highlight the need for stronger regulations and safer packaging alternatives to reduce human exposure to plastics through heated food.

2024 Food Control 10 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
Review Tier 2

Occurrence and effects of plastic additives on marine environments and organisms: A review

This review examines chemical additives found in plastics, such as flame retardants, phthalates, and bisphenol A, and how they leach into the marine environment as plastics accumulate and fragment. Researchers summarize evidence showing that these additives have been detected in marine water, sediment, and organisms, and can transfer from ingested plastic into animal tissues. The findings highlight that the chemical risk from plastic additives deserves as much attention as the physical impacts of microplastic particles themselves.

2017 Chemosphere 1204 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

Microplastics in food packaging: Analytical methods, health risks, and sustainable alternatives

This review examines how microplastics from food packaging materials can migrate into the food we eat during storage and handling. It evaluates analytical methods for detecting this contamination and suggests biodegradable polymers as promising eco-friendly alternatives, while noting that standardized testing methods and risk assessment frameworks are still needed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Food contact articles as source of micro- and nanoplastics: a systematic evidence map

Researchers mapped 103 studies on how micro- and nanoplastics migrate from food packaging, containers, and utensils directly into food during normal use, compiling over 600 data points into a searchable database. They found that everyday plastic food contact — from bottles to cutting boards — is a consistent source of human microplastic exposure, and call for mandatory migration testing in food safety regulations.

2025 npj Science of Food 13 citations
Review Tier 2

Emerging contaminants migration from pipes used in drinking water distribution systems: a review of the scientific literature

Researchers reviewed the migration of emerging contaminants from water distribution pipes into drinking water, focusing on microplastics, bisphenol A, phthalates, and other chemicals. The study found that pipe materials can release these contaminants into tap water, posing potential human health concerns and highlighting the need for better monitoring of distribution system contributions to drinking water contamination.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 59 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

Microplastic pollution-A major health problem-An update

This review summarizes the current understanding of microplastic pollution as a health concern, covering how these tiny plastic particles enter the human body through inhalation and ingestion of contaminated food and beverages. The study discusses chemical additives found in plastics, including endocrine disruptors like bisphenol A and phthalates, which have been associated with various health effects. However, the authors note that the fate and effects of microplastics once inside the human body remain controversial and require further study.

2025 International Journal of Science and Research Archive 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Safety Issues of Microplastics Released from Food Contact Materials

This review examined safety concerns about microplastics migrating from food contact materials (packaging, containers, bottles) into food and beverages, finding evidence of human exposure through ingestion and highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks addressing plastic particle migration.

2023 Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Food Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Food Processing: Role of Packaging Materials

This review examines how food packaging materials release microplastics into food products during production, storage, and transportation. Plastic containers, films, and wraps can shed tiny particles through mechanical wear, heat exposure, and chemical interactions with food. The findings highlight that packaging is a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic contamination in the food we eat.

2024 Food Science and Engineering 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds: An Overview on Their Occurrence in the Aquatic Environment and Human Exposure

This review examines how endocrine-disrupting compounds, including plastic-derived chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol A, accumulate in water sources worldwide. Researchers found these substances are now detectable even in drinking water, raising concerns about human exposure through the food chain. Several studies have linked exposure to these chemicals with reproductive and metabolic health issues, though more research is needed to fully understand the risks.

2021 Water 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of meso/micro/nano plastics and plastic additives in food from food packaging.

This chapter reviewed the contamination of food by plastics from packaging materials, examining migration mechanisms for meso-, micro-, and nano-plastics and plastic additives, and discussing how food type, packaging material, and processing conditions influence contamination levels under current regulatory frameworks.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research
Article Tier 2

Hazardous chemicals in recycled and reusable plastic food packaging

This study examines how recycling and reusing plastics for food packaging can introduce hazardous chemicals, including endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, into food. Recycling concentrates chemical contaminants from previous uses, while reusable containers can leach harmful substances over repeated wash cycles. The findings highlight a tension between reducing plastic waste and ensuring food contact materials remain safe for human health.

2023 Cambridge Prisms Plastics 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, distribution, and incipient threats of polymeric microplastic released from food storage plastic materials

This review examines how common food storage materials such as plastic bags, bottles, and containers release microplastic particles into the food they hold. Researchers compiled data on the sources, quantities, and distribution patterns of these released particles across multiple countries. The study highlights that everyday food packaging represents a significant and often overlooked pathway for human microplastic exposure.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 24 citations