Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Human Health

Most of the used plasttics are thrown awway by cosumers after single use.

Which has become a huge environmental problem as they will end up

In land fill ,oceans and other waterways .These  plasttics are discarded

In vast numbers each day ,and breaking down of plastics from micro

To nano sizes,worries about how toxic these plastics  to the environment 

and humans,

Over 80% of microplastics produce on land ,with less than 20%

Originating from the sea.

The majority of plastics the polluting the marine environment 

Originate from terrestrial sources ,fishing and from coastal and other aquaculture activities and from costal tourism.

It is estimated that over 800 million tons of plastics in the sea originated from land.

As micro-and nanoplastics are incredibly small ,waste water treatment 

Processes are not able to filter them out and, therefore such plastic

Particles will be intrroduced in to the the rivers and oceans as well as 

The fresh water supply system Further more micro and nanoparticles 

Are present  through natural erosion ,they will also get into rivers and oceans.

  

There are three key routes for microplastics 

And nanoplastics end up in human body ;human body : inhalation 

,ingestion and skin contact.

1 Inhaled airborne microplastic originate from urban dust 

2 Microplastics will be ingested as they are prevalent in food chain

  and water supplies.

3while skin membrane was too fine for microplastic or nano plastics

To pass through, It is possible for them to enter through wounds.,sweat gland or hair follicles.

Gastric  Exposure: Microplastics and nano

Plastics exposure and toxicity have indicated that most significant 

Way human consume plastic particles  is via ingestion.

The initial analysis of human stool samples  showed

That plastic particles were excreted,which supports  the theory 

that humans are ingesting these particles via food and water,

These along with research into ingestion update in envinormental

Models ,clearly show that humans will be regularly consuming 

Microplastics and nanoplastics.

However ,no studies have yet investigated what happens to the

Micro-and nanoplastics particles once they enter the gastrointestinal

(GI) Tract.It would be pertinent to to examine their route through

The GI tract.and whether particles remain in the gut lumen,or they

Translocate across gut epithelia

Ref  Nanomaterials(Basel) 2021 Feb 16,11(2)496

doi:10 ee90/nano11020496 

Maxine Swee-Li Yee

Ling-Wei Hii

Chin King Looi

Wet-Meng Lim, 

Shew-Fing Wong

Yih- Kok

Boon-Keat Tan

Chiew-Yen Wong

Chee-Onn Leong