Human exposure to micro(nano)plastics: Health risks and analysis methods

Abstract

Micro (nano)plastic pollution has emerged as a significant environmental problem. Micro (nano)plastics are byproducts of anthropogenic activity, exerting a significant influence on both the ecological well-being of human populations and the overall health of the planet. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the impacts of micro (nano)plastics on various organismal tissues, as well as the analytical methods used for addressing health challenges. A possible direct or indirect effect of micro (nano) plastics on different tissues or organs (intestine, liver, reproduction, etc.) is discussed in this paper. For detecting micro (nano) plastics, zetasizers, visual inspection, Raman spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging systems, and pyrolysis gas chromatography were used. The objective is to provide relevant evidence for future research endeavors. Nonetheless, conducting further investigations to address fundamental questions related to this topic is crucial.