Department of Bromatology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024;64(11):3502-3521. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2132212. Epub 2022 Oct 17.
Plastic waste pollution is one of the biggest problems in the world today. The amount of plastic in the environment continues to increase, and human exposure to microplastic (MP) has become a reality. This subject has attracted the attention of the whole world. The MP problem has also been noticed by the scientific community. The term microplastic is mostly used to define synthetic material with a high polymer content that can have a size range from 0.1 to 5000 µm. This paper aims to characterize the routes of exposure to MP, define its pollution sources, and identify food types contaminated with plastics. This review addresses the current state of knowledge on this type of particles, with particular emphasis on their influence on human health. Adverse effects of MP depend on routes and sources of exposure. The most common route of exposure is believed to be the gastrointestinal tract. Sources of MP include fish, shellfish, water as well as tea, beer, wine, energy drinks, soft drinks, milk, salt, sugar, honey, poultry meat, fruits, and vegetables. Studies have shown that particles of PET, PE, PP, PS, PVC, PA, and PC are the most frequently found in food.
塑料废物污染是当今世界最大的问题之一。环境中的塑料量不断增加，人类接触微塑料（MP）已成为现实。这个问题引起了全世界的关注。科学界也注意到了 MP 问题。微塑料一词主要用于定义高分子含量的合成材料，其尺寸范围可以从 0.1 到 5000 μm。本文旨在描述人类接触 MP 的途径，确定其污染来源，并识别受塑料污染的食物类型。本综述介绍了关于此类颗粒的现有知识状况，特别强调了它们对人类健康的影响。MP 的不良影响取决于接触途径和来源。最常见的接触途径被认为是胃肠道。MP 的来源包括鱼、贝类、水以及茶、啤酒、葡萄酒、能量饮料、软饮料、牛奶、盐、糖、蜂蜜、禽肉、水果和蔬菜。研究表明，在食物中最常发现的颗粒是 PET、PE、PP、PS、PVC、PA 和 PC。
