Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Studies on styrene concentration in drinking water and hot beverages in some settings

This study measured styrene — a potentially carcinogenic chemical derived from polystyrene plastic — in drinking water and hot beverages, finding detectable levels in samples from polystyrene containers. The findings highlight that plastic packaging can leach toxic monomers into beverages, adding to concerns about chemical exposure from plastic food contact materials.

2018 AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Article Tier 2

Quantitative analysis of polystyrene microplastic and styrene monomer released from plastic food containers

Researchers analyzed how polystyrene food containers release microplastics and styrene monomers under everyday conditions like heating and UV exposure. They found that containers released significant amounts of both microplastic particles and chemical compounds that could enter food. The study raises concerns about human exposure to microplastics through common disposable food packaging.

2023 Heliyon 39 citations
Article Tier 2

African Journal of Biomedical Research

This paper examines the environmental persistence of Styrofoam, a widely used polystyrene plastic, and reviews health risks from styrene release during degradation, as well as microplastic accumulation in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Exploring the impact of polystyrene microplastics on human health: unravelling the health implications of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs): a comprehensive study on cytotoxicity, reproductive health, human exposure, and exposure assessment

This study explores the various ways polystyrene microplastics can affect human health, including through impacts on cells, reproductive tissues, and cumulative exposure from food and consumer products. Researchers found evidence that toxic chemicals leaching from polystyrene can enter the body through multiple routes and accumulate over time. The findings emphasize the importance of standardized methods for monitoring human microplastic exposure.

2024 Toxicology Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Residual Monomers in the Manifestation of (Cyto)toxicity by Polystyrene Microplastic Model Particles

Researchers investigated whether the toxicity observed in laboratory studies using polystyrene microplastic particles might actually come from leftover styrene monomer trapped in the particles rather than the plastic itself. They found that standard commercial polystyrene particles containing residual monomers showed mild toxicity to mammalian cells, while thoroughly purified particles did not. The study suggests that some reported toxic effects of microplastics in lab settings may be partly attributed to chemical residues rather than the plastic particles alone.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics release from victuals packaging materials during daily usage

Researchers investigated microplastic release from food packaging materials during daily usage, with a focus on polystyrene foam containers. The study found that these containers release microplastic particles during routine handling, heating, and food contact, suggesting that food packaging is a significant and direct source of human microplastic exposure.

2021 EcoMat 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of microplastic at levels relevant for human health : cytotoxicity and cellular localization of polystyrene microparticles in four human cell lines

Researchers tested the cytotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics on four human cell lines at concentrations relevant to real-world human exposure from food, water, and packaging. At environmentally realistic doses, microplastics were taken up by cells but did not cause significant toxicity, though higher concentrations did produce cell damage, suggesting that current exposure levels may be near a threshold of concern.

2020 Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in polystyrene-made food containers from China: abundance, shape, size, and human intake

Researchers analyzed polystyrene food containers sold in China for microplastic contamination, examining the abundance, shape, and size of particles released. The study found that these containers shed microplastics during normal use, with hot liquids and acidic foods increasing the amount of plastic released. The results raise concerns about daily microplastic exposure from common food packaging.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 30 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

Az extrudált polisztirol alapú csomagolóanyagok kockázati tényezői az élelmiszer-biztonság és a környezet szempontjából = The risks of extruded polystyrene-based packaging materialsfor food safety and the environment

This study reviewed the food safety and environmental risks of extruded polystyrene (XPS) packaging materials widely used by the food industry. It found that XPS breaks down into microplastics that can enter living organisms, with leached substances appearing in visceral organs and the brain.

2025 Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences)
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics as a Potential Environmental Health Factor: From Molecular Interaction to Altered Cellular Function and Human Diseases

This review examined how nanoplastics — particularly polystyrene — interact with cells at the molecular level, potentially causing lasting changes that could contribute to developmental problems and degenerative disease. The study highlights growing concerns about nanoplastics as an emerging environmental health risk given their widespread presence in food, water, and air.

2021 Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research 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

Polystyrene microplastic particles in the food chain: Characteristics and toxicity - A review

This review covers how polystyrene microplastics move through the food chain, from water and soil into animals and ultimately humans. Accumulation in organs leads to a range of harmful effects including weight loss, lung disease, brain toxicity, and oxidative stress. The paper highlights that these tiny plastic particles are particularly dangerous because they can cross biological barriers and carry other toxic chemicals with them.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in food packaging systems: impact on human health, socioeconomic considerations and regulatory framework

This review examines how plastics from food packaging migrate into our food and enter the body through eating, breathing, and skin contact, where particles smaller than 3 micrometers can penetrate biological barriers. Research shows these microplastics can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, organ damage, and disrupt stem cell function, highlighting the urgent need for safer packaging alternatives.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Cover Picture

This cover picture summary describes research showing that polystyrene foam food containers release microplastics during normal everyday use. The finding raises concern about a common and often overlooked source of microplastic ingestion by humans.

2021 EcoMat
Article Tier 2

Migration of Dihydroxy Alkylamines and Their Possible Impurities from Packaging into Foods and Food Simulants: Analysis and Safety Evaluation

Researchers analyzed the migration of dihydroxy alkylamines and their impurities from plastic food packaging and coffee capsules into food simulants, finding detectable levels of these antistatic agents and highlighting the need for safety evaluation of packaging chemical migration.

2023 Polymers 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of polystyrene nanoplastics with in vitro models of the human intestinal barrier

Researchers assessed the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on two in vitro models simulating the human intestinal barrier and its associated immune system. The study found that while cell viability and membrane integrity were largely maintained, the nanoparticles were able to interact with and translocate across the intestinal cell layers, raising questions about potential long-term exposure effects.

2020 Archives of Toxicology 169 citations
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

Microplastics Derived from Food Packaging Waste—Their Origin and Health Risks

This review examines how food packaging breaks down into microplastics made of common plastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. These packaging-derived microplastics can leach chemical additives and absorb environmental pollutants, which may then transfer into the food they contain. The findings highlight food packaging as an overlooked source of direct microplastic exposure for humans, especially through everyday items like bottles, containers, and wrappers.

2023 Materials 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Polymer Type, Storage Temperature, and Holding Times on the Release of Micro- and Nanoplastics from Food Packaging

Researchers assessed how polymer type, storage temperature, and holding time affect the release of micro- and nanoplastics from polystyrene, polypropylene, and PET food packaging. Higher temperatures and longer storage times significantly increased MNP release, with PS releasing more particles than PP or PET.

2025 ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University)
Article Tier 2

Migration testing of microplastics from selected water and food containers by Raman microscopy

Researchers tested microplastic migration from common food and water containers made of polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene under FDA-guided conditions. The study found that hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per liter can be released, with higher temperatures, fatty food simulants, and direct microwave heating significantly increasing particle release, suggesting that everyday food container use may be a notable source of microplastic exposure.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of In Vitro Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Researchers evaluated the genotoxic potential of polystyrene nanoparticles in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, finding evidence of DNA damage that raises concerns about the health effects of nanoplastic exposure in humans.

2023 Toxics 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of the toxic effects and mechanisms of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics across multiple animal species

This review comprehensively examines the toxic effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics across marine animals, freshwater species, soil organisms, and mammals. Researchers found that these particles can cause damage at multiple biological levels, affecting the digestive, respiratory, nervous, reproductive, and circulatory systems. The study highlights the widespread environmental presence of polystyrene plastics and the need to better understand how they harm living organisms.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification analysis of microplastics released from disposable polystyrene tableware with fluorescent polymer staining

Researchers developed a fluorescent polymer staining method to quantify microplastics released from disposable polystyrene tableware, finding that hot water temperature and contact time significantly increased microplastic release into food.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations