Recent progress of microplastic toxicity on human exposure base on in vitro and in vivo studies

Human Exposure to Ambient Atmospheric Microplastics in a Megacity: Spatiotemporal Variation and Associated Microorganism-Related Health Risk

“…The health risks of AMPs are also related to their characteristics (size, shape, and polymer type). , PM with smaller size and fragment shape may present higher direct and inherent risks based on lab research. , Compared to microplastics in other environmental media, , including indoor air and dust, , ambient AMPs in this study and previous research have smaller size, which may have stronger interactions with cells and tissues leading to higher human health risks . Furthermore, microplastics formed from polymers that are more easily degradable may carry a higher risk of leaching toxic additives and oligomers. , The composition primarily consisted of PES and PA in this study, which implied a higher risk of toxicity associated with additives and oligomers from ambient AMPs …”

“…The estimated amount of deposited AMPs in contact with human skin was lower compared to that of the total AMPs for human dermal exposure, due to the promoted adhesion during human outdoor activities and the ignoring of suspended AMPs. 14, 51,52 Despite the potential underestimation, our estimation suggested that exposure to the ambient atmosphere in megacity for just 2 h daily could result in an annual exposure quantity of 7.37 × 10 4 items for children and 1.06 × 10 5 items for adults, which were comparable with the annual microplastic consumption through food and water (4.30 × 10 4 −1.42 × 10 5 items) based on American dietary habits. 10 While this quantity is not as surprising as the daily inhalation of indoor AMPs mentioned in the introduction, it is essential to consider that indoor estimates were based on 90% time of the day.…”

“…8,21 PM with smaller size and fragment shape may present higher direct and inherent risks based on lab research. 52,58 microplastics in other environmental media, 26,37 including indoor air and dust, 59,60 ambient AMPs in this study and previous research have smaller size, which may have stronger interactions with cells and tissues leading to higher human health risks. 58 Furthermore, microplastics formed from polymers that are more easily degradable may carry a higher risk of leaching toxic additives and oligomers.…”

“…Other reports detected microplastics larger than 20 μm (accounting for 9.2% to 18.9%) in human lung tissues with the largest length of 2475 μm. , Therefore, the detected AMPs in this study (ranging from 11.7 to 1992.3 μm) were possible to get inhaled. The estimated amount of deposited AMPs in contact with human skin was lower compared to that of the total AMPs for human dermal exposure, due to the promoted adhesion during human outdoor activities and the ignoring of suspended AMPs. ,, …”

“…For example, ingested microplastics would be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, attacking the reproductive system ,, and altering the intestinal microflora . It has been proved that PM can persist on hair, eye surfaces, and even skin lesions, ,, and that AMPs would further amplify the toxicity of monomers or pollutants adhering to their surfaces and release them to humans …”