Microplastics and Public Health
MICROPLASTICS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12574485Keywords:
Plastic, microplastic, food, nutrition, human healthAbstract
Thanks to their practical use, the widespread use of plastics increases the production of plastics day by day. However, plastics that can remain in nature for a long time have some negative effects on the environment. The 0.1-5000 micrometre (μm) sized particles formed by biological, mechanical, chemical degradation of plastics or as a result of direct production in the industry are called microplastics. Microplastics are among the current research topics as they cause environmental pollution and affect natural life. Since microplastics are lightweight, they can be easily transported anywhere. For this reason, microplastics can be found in air, land and water. Microplastics of various sizes and shapes can reach many living things, especially in water. The reason why aquatic environments are mostly investigated in the studies conducted in the literature is that microplastics can reach from algae, the simplest living things, to humans. Microplastics are a source of danger for aquatic organisms and humans. Human exposure to microplastics occurs through oral, inhalation and contact. Humans are exposed to various microplastics by consuming contaminated water and food. Microplastics can enter food from air, raw materials, plastics used in production and packaging. The effects of microplastics on human health are not clearly known because they have various shapes and sizes, are difficult to separate from some foods, and the pathways they undergo in the digestive system are not yet known. In this review, the formation of microplastics, their presence in foods and their effects on human health were examined.
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