Micro(nano)plastics in the Human Body: Sources, Occurrences, Fates, and Health Risks

Abstract

The increasing global attention on micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) is a result of their ubiquity in the water, air, soil, and biosphere, exposing humans to MNPs on a daily basis and threatening human health. However, crucial data on MNPs in the human body, including the sources, occurrences, behaviors, and health risks, are limited, which greatly impedes any systematic assessment of their impact on the human body. To further understand the effects of MNPs on the human body, we must identify existing knowledge gaps that need to be immediately addressed and provide potential solutions to these issues. Herein, we examined the current literature on the sources, occurrences, and behaviors of MNPs in the human body as well as their potential health risks. Furthermore, we identified key knowledge gaps that must be resolved to comprehensively assess the effects of MNPs on human health. Additionally, we addressed that the complexity of MNPs and the lack of efficient analytical methods are the main barriers impeding current investigations on MNPs in the human body, necessitating the development of a standard and unified analytical method. Finally, we highlighted the need for interdisciplinary studies from environmental, biological, medical, chemical, computer, and material scientists to fill these knowledge gaps and drive further research. Considering the inevitability and daily occurrence of human exposure to MNPs, more studies are urgently required to enhance our understanding of their potential negative effects on human health.

High-Efficiency Degradation of PET Plastics by Glutathione S-Transferase under Mild Conditions

“…Large pieces of PET plastics can be degraded into micro- or nanoscale fragments to form microplastics or nanoplastics following exposure to solar radiation, mechanical forces, or microorganisms . As previously reported, plastics, especially micro- and nanoplastics, are able to enter the human body. − The accumulation of micro-/nanoplastics in organisms leads to adverse biological effects, thus posing a threat to organisms and human health. − Previous studies have reported that the intake of PET plastics by living organisms triggers multiple biological and physiological defects, including inflammatory responses, reduced feeding activities, and energy depletion. − However, the health risks and related toxicological mechanisms of PET plastics have yet to be comprehensively established, particularly the fate and metabolism of plastics in living organisms. To ascertain the fate of plastics in organisms, research on the degradation processes of plastics in vivo is required.…”

Protocol for detecting micro(nano)plastics released from intravenous infusion products

“… 2 , 3 , 4 There are evidences of MNPs in blood, placental, and other human tissues, posing a risk to human health. 5 However, the pathways through which humans are exposed to MNPs remain poorly understood. One potential direct exposure route is through the release of MNPs from intravenous infusion products (IVIPs) into the bloodstream.…”