Batool Iffat, Qadir Abdul, Levermore Joseph M, Kelly Frank J
College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
School of Public Health, Imperial College London, 10th Floor, Michael Uren Building, White City Campus, 80 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 1;806(Pt 4):150745. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150745. Epub 2021 Oct 14.
The use of plastics is common across all aspects of human life owing to its durable and versatile nature. The generation and utilization of plastics are directly related to the anthropogenic activities. The extensive use of plastics and adoption of inappropriate waste-management frameworks has resulted in their release into the environment, where they may persist. Different environmental factors, such as, photochemical, thermo-oxidation, and biological degradation, can lead to the degradation of plastics into micro- (MPs) and nano-plastics (NPs). The behaviour and concentration of MPs in the terrestrial environment can depend on their size, density, and local atmospheric conditions. Microplastics and nanoplastics may enter the food web, carrying various organic pollutants, which bio-accumulate at different trophic levels, prompting organism health concerns. Microplastics being airborne identifies as new exposure route. Dietary and airborne exposure to MPs has led researchers to stress the importance of evaluating their toxicological potential. The primary goal of this paper is to explore the environmental fate of MPs from sources to sink in the terrestrial environment, as well as detail their potential impacts on human health. Additionally, this review article focuses on the presence of airborne microplastics, detailed sample pre-processing methods, and outlines analytical methods for their characterization.
由于塑料具有耐用和多功能的特性，其在人类生活的各个方面都有广泛应用。塑料的产生和使用与人类活动直接相关。塑料的广泛使用以及采用不当的废物管理框架导致其释放到环境中，并可能在环境中持续存在。不同的环境因素，如光化学、热氧化和生物降解，可导致塑料降解为微塑料（MPs）和纳米塑料（NPs）。陆地环境中微塑料的行为和浓度可能取决于其大小、密度和当地大气条件。微塑料和纳米塑料可能进入食物网，携带各种有机污染物，这些污染物在不同营养级生物累积，引发对生物体健康的担忧。空气中存在微塑料被视为一种新的暴露途径。通过饮食和空气接触微塑料促使研究人员强调评估其毒理学潜力的重要性。本文的主要目标是探讨陆地环境中微塑料从源到汇的环境归宿，并详细阐述其对人类健康的潜在影响。此外，这篇综述文章关注空气中微塑料的存在、详细的样品预处理方法，并概述了用于其表征的分析方法。
