Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The Impact of Microplastic on Human Health

This review synthesized evidence on microplastic exposure pathways and health effects in humans, finding that microplastics enter the body via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact and are associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity, and endocrine disruption.

2021 Current Biotechnology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: a Trojan horse for respiratory dysfunction and multiorgan damage

This review examined evidence on airborne microplastics as a route of human exposure, focusing on how inhaled particles may affect respiratory function and potentially reach other organs. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for other pollutants and pathogens, and that inhalation exposure warrants greater research attention alongside the more commonly studied ingestion pathway.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health?

Researchers reviewed existing evidence on airborne microplastics and their potential effects on human respiratory health. Studies of workers exposed to plastic fibers and particles have documented airway inflammation and breathing difficulties, suggesting that susceptible individuals may face health risks even from environmental concentrations. The paper calls for greater awareness and future research into the health consequences of inhaling microplastic particles.

2017 Environmental Pollution 1580 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Human health: Time for us to get attentive- before it’s too late

This paper reviewed the growing evidence on microplastic impacts on human health, covering ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure routes, and the potential for microplastics to cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption. The authors argue the problem demands urgent regulatory attention.

2024 Diabetes Asia Journal.
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastics: Another Threatening to Our Health

This review examines the emerging evidence on airborne microplastics, covering their sources, how they travel through the atmosphere, and how they enter the human respiratory system through inhalation. Researchers highlight potential health effects including pulmonary inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption, with particle size influencing how deeply they penetrate into the lungs. The study calls for standardized measurement protocols and urgent interdisciplinary research to better understand the health risks of breathing in microplastic particles.

2025 Science Insights 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics inhalation and their effects on human health: a systematic review

This systematic review examines how breathing in microplastics affects human health. It finds that airborne microplastics can reach the lungs and may trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and respiratory issues, with workers in textile and plastic industries facing the highest exposure levels.

2022 European Journal of Public Health 24 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

Microplastics in the Air

This book chapter examines atmospheric microplastic pollution, reviewing the presence of MPs in outdoor and indoor air, the mechanisms by which they become airborne, human inhalation exposure estimates, and evidence for respiratory health effects.

2025
Review Tier 2

Airborne microplastics and their impact on human health: A critical review

This review analyzes the growing body of research on microplastics floating in indoor and outdoor air and their potential effects on human health. Evidence indicates that inhaled microplastics can trigger inflammatory responses and cellular damage in the lungs, liver, and reproductive system, and may carry toxic additives deeper into the body. The authors call for more interdisciplinary research to understand the long-term health implications of breathing in these tiny plastic particles.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Human Health Impacts of Microplastics and Associated Chemicals

This book chapter reviews human exposure pathways to microplastics — including ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact — and examines evidence linking tissue-level MP accumulation to inflammation, immune disruption, endocrine effects, and potential carcinogenicity.

2025
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastic pollution on human health - current issues

This review covers the sources, distribution, and ecological implications of microplastics in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments, synthesizing existing knowledge and research gaps. It finds that MPs are a global contaminant threatening biodiversity and human health through chemical leaching, endocrine disruption, and physical harm to organisms at multiple trophic levels.

2025 Ecological Questions
Article Tier 2

Investigating impact of physicochemical properties of microplastics on human health: A short bibliometric analysis and review

This review examined how the physical and chemical properties of microplastics influence their potential impacts on human health, noting that people are exposed through ingestion of contaminated food and water as well as inhalation of airborne particles. Researchers found that once ingested, microplastics can release hazardous chemicals in the digestive tract, while inhaled particles pose oxidative stress risks to the lungs. The study highlights that current air quality standards may not adequately account for suspended plastic particles.

2021 Chemosphere 114 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

Physiological Effects of Microplastic on Marine Organisms

This review examines the physiological effects of microplastics on marine organisms, covering how plastic particles—from fragmentation of larger debris or manufactured microbeads—are ingested, accumulate in tissues, and disrupt metabolic and immune functions. It concludes that the ever-increasing concentration of MPs in marine environments represents a growing threat to marine biodiversity and ultimately to human health through the food chain.

2025 Cuestiones de Fisioterapia
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Air and Their Associated Health Impacts

This review examines the presence of microplastics in air and their associated health impacts, summarizing evidence for airborne microplastic distribution globally, potential exposure routes including inhalation, and documented biological effects such as oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, immune disruption, and neurotoxicity.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and its implications for human health through marine environments

This review summarizes recent research on how microplastics spread through the ocean and enter the human body through seafood, inhaled air, and skin contact. Studies show these tiny particles can cause inflammation, organ damage, breathing problems, and metabolic disruptions, highlighting the health risks of microplastic contamination in marine food sources.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 15 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
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and nanoplastic transfer, accumulation, and toxicity in humans

Researchers reviewed human exposure routes to micro- and nanoplastics — via air, water, and food — and summarized reported toxicological outcomes, identifying ingestion and inhalation as primary entry points and flagging oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption as key health concerns warranting further study.

2021 Current Opinion in Toxicology 72 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of the Sources, Environmental Behaviours and Human Health of Atmospheric Microplastics

This review examined sources, environmental behaviors, and human health impacts of atmospheric microplastics, distinguishing indoor from outdoor MP exposure and summarizing evidence on how airborne MPs are emitted, transported, transformed, and inhaled.

2023 Johnson Matthey Technology Review 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects

This review examines the potential health effects of human exposure to microplastics through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Researchers found that microplastic exposure may cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune system disruption, with the body's inability to break down synthetic particles potentially leading to chronic inflammation. The study emphasizes that while evidence of harm is growing, microplastic toxicity varies greatly depending on particle properties, concentration, and individual susceptibility.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 2348 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

Atmospheric microplastics: exposure, toxicity, and detrimental health effects

This review summarizes what is known about microplastics in the air, including their sources, how they travel, and their effects on human health when inhaled or swallowed. Airborne microplastics come from synthetic textiles, road dust, construction materials, and industrial processes, and can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in the lungs and other organs. The authors conclude that atmospheric microplastics represent an underappreciated route of human exposure that deserves more research and regulation.

2023 RSC Advances 95 citations
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)
Article Tier 2

Why is inhalation the most discriminative route of microplastics exposure?

This review examined why inhalation is the most discriminative route of microplastic exposure, highlighting differences between indoor and outdoor airborne microplastics and the unique vulnerability of the respiratory system to polymer-specific particle characteristics.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 citations