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REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1458727
This article is part of the Research Topic Toxicity Mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants and Health Risk Assessment View all 16 articles

Biological hazards of micro-and nano plastic with adsorbents and additives

Provisionally accepted
Ah Reum Hong Ah Reum Hong JIN SU KIM JIN SU KIM *
  • Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Nowon-gu, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    With the increased worldwide production of plastics, interest in the biological hazards of microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP), which are widely distributed as environmental pollutants, has also increased. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the toxicological effects of MP and NP on in vitro and in vivo systems based on studies conducted over the past decade. We summarize key findings on how the type, size, and adsorbed substances of plastics, including chemical additives, impact organisms. Also, we address various exposure routes, such as ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and their biological effects on both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, as well as human health. Additionally, the review highlights the increased toxicity of MP and NP due to their smaller size and higher bioavailability, as well as the interactions between these particles and chemical additives. This review emphasizes the need for further research into the complex biological interactions and risks posed by the accumulation of MP and NP in the environment, while also proposing potential directions for future studies.

    Keywords: Microplastics, nanoplastics, heavy metals, Chemical additives, biological effects

    Received: 03 Jul 2024; Accepted: 29 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hong and KIM. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: JIN SU KIM, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Nowon-gu, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.