Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies
Although humans are highly dependent on plastics from infancy to adolescence, these materials can degrade into ubiquitous microplastics (MPs) that affect individuals at every stage of life. However, information on the sources, mechanisms, detection techniques, and detrimental effects of MPs on child...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Korean Pediatric Society
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2023-01739.pdf |
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| _version_ | 1825206637623771136 |
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| author | Rogers Wainkwa Chia Ntegang Venant Atem Jin-Yong Lee Jihye Cha |
| author_facet | Rogers Wainkwa Chia Ntegang Venant Atem Jin-Yong Lee Jihye Cha |
| author_sort | Rogers Wainkwa Chia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although humans are highly dependent on plastics from infancy to adolescence, these materials can degrade into ubiquitous microplastics (MPs) that affect individuals at every stage of life. However, information on the sources, mechanisms, detection techniques, and detrimental effects of MPs on children’s health from infancy to adolescence is limited. Hence, here we identified and reviewed original research papers published in 2017–2023 across 11 database categories in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science to improve our understanding of MPs with a focus on pediatric well-being. These studies found that milk and infant formulas are common sources of MP exposure in infants. Infant formula is the dominant source of MPs in babies, while plastic toys are a common source of MPs in toddlers. Adolescents are frequently exposed to MPs through the consumption of food contaminated with MPs and the use of plastics in food packaging. Water and air are sources of MP exposure in children from infancy through adolescence. This study thoroughly summarized how MP exposure in children of all ages causes cell damage and leads to adverse health effects such as cancer. With appropriate authorization from the relevant authorities, small amounts of human biological samples (10 g of feces) were collected from volunteers to assess the amounts of MPs in children with the aim of promoting pediatric well-being. The samples were then treated with Fenton's reagent, stored in glass jars, and filtered through nonplastic filters. Finally, MPs in children were quantified using stereomicroscopy and characterized using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4d1472acafc428f9580785d6e2c46cd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2713-4148 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | The Korean Pediatric Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4d1472acafc428f9580785d6e2c46cd2025-02-07T07:38:34ZengThe Korean Pediatric SocietyClinical and Experimental Pediatrics2713-41482025-01-0168111510.3345/cep.2023.0173920125555735Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studiesRogers Wainkwa Chia0Ntegang Venant Atem1Jin-Yong Lee2Jihye Cha3 Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, KoreaAlthough humans are highly dependent on plastics from infancy to adolescence, these materials can degrade into ubiquitous microplastics (MPs) that affect individuals at every stage of life. However, information on the sources, mechanisms, detection techniques, and detrimental effects of MPs on children’s health from infancy to adolescence is limited. Hence, here we identified and reviewed original research papers published in 2017–2023 across 11 database categories in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science to improve our understanding of MPs with a focus on pediatric well-being. These studies found that milk and infant formulas are common sources of MP exposure in infants. Infant formula is the dominant source of MPs in babies, while plastic toys are a common source of MPs in toddlers. Adolescents are frequently exposed to MPs through the consumption of food contaminated with MPs and the use of plastics in food packaging. Water and air are sources of MP exposure in children from infancy through adolescence. This study thoroughly summarized how MP exposure in children of all ages causes cell damage and leads to adverse health effects such as cancer. With appropriate authorization from the relevant authorities, small amounts of human biological samples (10 g of feces) were collected from volunteers to assess the amounts of MPs in children with the aim of promoting pediatric well-being. The samples were then treated with Fenton's reagent, stored in glass jars, and filtered through nonplastic filters. Finally, MPs in children were quantified using stereomicroscopy and characterized using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2023-01739.pdffourier transform infraredhuman biological samplemicroplasticbreast milkpediatric well-being |
| spellingShingle | Rogers Wainkwa Chia Ntegang Venant Atem Jin-Yong Lee Jihye Cha Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics fourier transform infrared human biological sample microplastic breast milk pediatric well-being |
| title | Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| title_full | Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| title_fullStr | Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| title_short | Microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well-being: a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| title_sort | microplastic and human health with focus on pediatric well being a comprehensive review and call for future studies |
| topic | fourier transform infrared human biological sample microplastic breast milk pediatric well-being |
| url | http://www.e-cep.org/upload/pdf/cep-2023-01739.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rogerswainkwachia microplasticandhumanhealthwithfocusonpediatricwellbeingacomprehensivereviewandcallforfuturestudies AT ntegangvenantatem microplasticandhumanhealthwithfocusonpediatricwellbeingacomprehensivereviewandcallforfuturestudies AT jinyonglee microplasticandhumanhealthwithfocusonpediatricwellbeingacomprehensivereviewandcallforfuturestudies AT jihyecha microplasticandhumanhealthwithfocusonpediatricwellbeingacomprehensivereviewandcallforfuturestudies |