Microplastics in the human body and environment: Pathways, health impacts, detection, and removal strategies

IF 7.2 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Pub Date : 2025-09-10 DOI:10.1016/j.jece.2025.119200

Mohammad Tahir Aminzai , Metin Yildirim , Erdal Yabalak

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are among the most persistent environmental contaminants due to their widespread presence in water, soil, food, beverages, and biological tissues. Annually, millions of tons of plastic waste degrade into micro-sized particles (5 mm to 1 μm) through physical, chemical, and biological processes. MPs pose significant risks to humans, animals, and plants, with confirmed presence in human biological samples such as breast milk, feces, urine, and semen. These particles have been linked to respiratory disorders, inflammation, cellular damage, metabolic disturbances, and reproductive dysfunction. In this study, we systematically classify MPs by size, shape, origin, and chemical structure, and review their environmental distribution and human health implications. We further provide a comparative analysis of microscopic and spectroscopic methods for MPs detection, and evaluate the advantages and limitations of current physical, chemical, and biological remediation strategies. The review concludes with an emphasis on the most pressing challenges in MPs research and highlights future directions for mitigation and policy development.

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微塑料在人体和环境：途径，健康影响，检测和去除策略

微塑料（MPs）是最持久的环境污染物之一，因为它们广泛存在于水、土壤、食物、饮料和生物组织中。每年，数百万吨塑料垃圾通过物理、化学和生物过程降解成微小颗粒（5 mm ~ 1 μm）。MPs对人类、动物和植物构成重大风险，已证实存在于母乳、粪便、尿液和精液等人类生物样本中。这些颗粒与呼吸系统疾病、炎症、细胞损伤、代谢紊乱和生殖功能障碍有关。在这项研究中，我们系统地按大小、形状、来源和化学结构对MPs进行分类，并回顾了它们的环境分布和对人类健康的影响。我们进一步提供了显微镜和光谱检测MPs方法的比较分析，并评估了当前物理，化学和生物修复策略的优点和局限性。该审查最后强调了国会议员研究中最紧迫的挑战，并强调了缓解和政策制定的未来方向。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Environmental Science-Pollution

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

6.50%

发文量

2017

审稿时长

27 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (JECE) serves as a platform for the dissemination of original and innovative research focusing on the advancement of environmentally-friendly, sustainable technologies. JECE emphasizes the transition towards a carbon-neutral circular economy and a self-sufficient bio-based economy. Topics covered include soil, water, wastewater, and air decontamination; pollution monitoring, prevention, and control; advanced analytics, sensors, impact and risk assessment methodologies in environmental chemical engineering; resource recovery (water, nutrients, materials, energy); industrial ecology; valorization of waste streams; waste management (including e-waste); climate-water-energy-food nexus; novel materials for environmental, chemical, and energy applications; sustainability and environmental safety; water digitalization, water data science, and machine learning; process integration and intensification; recent developments in green chemistry for synthesis, catalysis, and energy; and original research on contaminants of emerging concern, persistent chemicals, and priority substances, including microplastics, nanoplastics, nanomaterials, micropollutants, antimicrobial resistance genes, and emerging pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) of environmental significance.