Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions
Plastics are extensively used across industries, leading to microplastic (MPL) and nanoplastic (NPL) contamination in ecosystems. Exposure to these particles occurs primarily through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, raising significant human health concerns. This review critically evaluate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Emerging Contaminants |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000794 |
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| author | Sona Alungal Sadique Muxina Konarova Xufeng Niu Istvan Szilagyi Nilesh Nirmal Li Li |
| author_facet | Sona Alungal Sadique Muxina Konarova Xufeng Niu Istvan Szilagyi Nilesh Nirmal Li Li |
| author_sort | Sona Alungal Sadique |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plastics are extensively used across industries, leading to microplastic (MPL) and nanoplastic (NPL) contamination in ecosystems. Exposure to these particles occurs primarily through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, raising significant human health concerns. This review critically evaluates recent advancements in understanding the human health impacts of MPLs/NPLs, focusing on their routes of exposure including ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, and the mechanisms of cellular uptake and toxicity. While MPL/NPL pollution is a well-recognised environmental hazard, the conclusive evidence linking their exposure to specific health outcomes in humans remains limited. We discuss methodological gaps in assessing their toxicological impacts, particularly in vitro models, and the need for more sophisticated in vivo studies to simulate real-life exposures. Future research directions, including the exploration of the corona formation on MPL/NPL particles and its influence on cellular interactions, are outlined to bridge existing knowledge gaps. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2a73dde053e24eb18e6c92a3891ec294 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-6650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Contaminants |
| spelling | doaj-art-2a73dde053e24eb18e6c92a3891ec2942025-08-20T03:41:58ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Emerging Contaminants2405-66502025-09-0111310054510.1016/j.emcon.2025.100545Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directionsSona Alungal Sadique0Muxina Konarova1Xufeng Niu2Istvan Szilagyi3Nilesh Nirmal4Li Li5Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, AustraliaSchool of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, AustraliaKey Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (Beihang University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, ChinaMTA-SZTE Momentum Biocolloids Research Group, Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, University of Szeged, 1 Rerrich Béla tér, H-6720, Szeged, HungaryInstitute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, 999 Phutthamonthon 4 Road, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand; Corresponding author.Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia; Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2768, Australia; Corresponding author. Charles Sturt University, Wagga, NSW, 2768, Australia.Plastics are extensively used across industries, leading to microplastic (MPL) and nanoplastic (NPL) contamination in ecosystems. Exposure to these particles occurs primarily through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, raising significant human health concerns. This review critically evaluates recent advancements in understanding the human health impacts of MPLs/NPLs, focusing on their routes of exposure including ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, and the mechanisms of cellular uptake and toxicity. While MPL/NPL pollution is a well-recognised environmental hazard, the conclusive evidence linking their exposure to specific health outcomes in humans remains limited. We discuss methodological gaps in assessing their toxicological impacts, particularly in vitro models, and the need for more sophisticated in vivo studies to simulate real-life exposures. Future research directions, including the exploration of the corona formation on MPL/NPL particles and its influence on cellular interactions, are outlined to bridge existing knowledge gaps.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000794CytotoxicityEndocytosisIngestionInhalationMicroplasticsNanoplastics |
| spellingShingle | Sona Alungal Sadique Muxina Konarova Xufeng Niu Istvan Szilagyi Nilesh Nirmal Li Li Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions Emerging Contaminants Cytotoxicity Endocytosis Ingestion Inhalation Microplastics Nanoplastics |
| title | Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions |
| title_full | Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions |
| title_fullStr | Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions |
| title_short | Impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human Health: Emerging evidence and future directions |
| title_sort | impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health emerging evidence and future directions |
| topic | Cytotoxicity Endocytosis Ingestion Inhalation Microplastics Nanoplastics |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000794 |
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