The hidden threat to food safety and human health: microplastics

Dazıroğlu, Merve Esra Çıtar; Bilici, S

doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03565-7

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 116 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The contamination of several food products with MPs has gained considerable attention due to potential health concerns (Çıtar Dazıroğlu & Bilici, 2023). Drinking water and beverages might become contaminated with MPs due to plastic pollution in the water sources.…”

Section: Mp Contamination In Foods and Beveragesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the inconsistency of microplastic measurements in foods and beverages

Canga,

Gowen,

2024

Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safe

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the food chain has gained substantial recognition as a pressing concern, highlighting the inevitability of human exposure through ingestion of foodborne MPs, coupled with the release of MPs from plastic packaging. However, there are notable disparities in the reported numbers of MPs in foods and beverages, warranting a thorough investigation into the factors contributing to these discrepancies. Table salt is one of the major sources of MPs, and there was an approximately hundred‐fold difference between the reviewed studies that reported the highest and lowest number of MPs. In addition, more noticeable discrepancies were discovered between studies on MPs released from teabags. One study reported that approximately 15 billion MPs were released into a cup of tea from a single teabag, whereas another research paper found only approximately 106.3 ± 14.6 MP/teabag after brewing. This comprehensive review focuses on the inconsistencies observed across studies examining MPs, shedding light on the plausible factors underlying these variations. Furthermore, the review outlines areas in analytical procedures that require enhancement and offers recommendations to promote accuracy and standardization in future research efforts, such as employing analytical methods capable of confirming the presence of MPs, using appropriate filter sizes, considering representative sample sizes when extrapolation is involved, and so on. By pinpointing the detection processes leading to the inconsistent results observed in MP studies, this comparative analysis will contribute to the development of reliable analytic methods for understanding the extent of microplastic contamination in the human food chain.

show abstract

Section: Mp Contamination In Foods and Beveragesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the inconsistency of microplastic measurements in foods and beverages

Canga,

Gowen,

2024

Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safe

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The pollution caused by microplastics has emerged as a global environmental problem, with their presence being detected in a range of aquatic environments [1]. Additionally, microplastics have been identified in drinking water and food, carrying a constant risk of exposure to humans [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The definition of microplastics, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission Recommendation, is a collection of materials with varying shapes and sizes such as fragments, fibers, spheroids, granules, pellets, flakes, and beads.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Microplastics in Plastic-Bottled Chinese Baijiu Using Micro-FTIR in Imaging Mode

Zhou,

Wang,

Wang

et al. 2023

Applied Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in our environment, being present in the air we breathe and in the food we consume. Due to the widespread use of plastic materials in everyday life, the amount of microplastics being released into the biosphere has become increasingly apparent in recent years. This study provides the first documentation of the presence of microplastics in Chinese baijiu, a popular alcoholic beverage in China, bottled in plastic. It is essential to note the significance of this discovery and potential implications for human health. Analysis of samples collected from the Chinese market showed the presence of microplastics in all six Chinese baijiu brands tested. Concentrations ranged from 172 MPs/500 mL to 944 MPs/500 mL with an average concentration of 436 MPs/500 mL. Cellulose and PA accounted for 70.4% and 17.8% of all microplastics detected, respectively. These were the most commonly detected types. Other types of microplastics were also found, including PET, PP, PVC, and PE. PET accounted for 2.7%, PP for 2.2%, PVC for 1.2%, and PE for 0.1% of all microplastics. The possible sources of contamination include raw materials, ambient air, and equipment and vessels that shed microplastics. Therefore, this study emphasizes the requirement for further research to mitigate the potential hazards associated with human exposure to microplastics. Additionally, it presents significant findings on the presence of microplastics in Chinese baijiu sold in plastic bottles.

show abstract