Abstract
Microplastics have been recently detected in many environmental media and living organisms, yet their transfer and toxicity to humans are poorly known. Here, we review microplastic transfer in the food chain with focus on microplastic pollution sources, methods to analyze microplastics in food, health impact of food-related microplastic exposure, and remediation of microplastic pollution. Microplastic pollution sources include seafood, food additives, packaging materials, and agricultural and industrial products. Remediation techniques comprise the use of microbial enzymes and biofilms. Microplastic detection methods in food rely on separation and quantification by optical detection, scanning electron micrography, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Human health impact following microplastic ingestion include cancers, organ and respiration damage, and reproductive impairments. Overall, microplastic toxicity is mainly due to their ability to enter the metabolism, adsorption into the circulatory system for translocation, and difficulty, if not impossibility, of excretion.
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All authors researched data for the article and contributed to the literature survey, manuscript writing, writing—review and editing. Emmanuel Sunday Okeke conceptualized the study, and Chidiebele Emmanuel Nwankwo significantly contributed to the study idea and review structure. Chukwuebuka Gabriel Eze, Chidiebele Emmanuel Nwankwo, Satarupa Dey, Suresh Sundaramurthy, and Emmanuel Sunday Okeke were contributed to investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, and software. The revision and modification of the article were done by Emmanuel Sunday Okeke and Chidiebele Emmanuel Nwankwo. All authors contributed substantially to the discussion of the content, figures, and tables. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Eze, C.G., Nwankwo, C.E., Dey, S. et al. Food chain microplastics contamination and impact on human health: a review. Environ Chem Lett (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-024-01734-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-024-01734-2