![]() These synthetic polymers are environmental pollutants themselves and act as vectors of transport of various kind of chemicals, but they are also considered valid indicators of the recent and contemporary period, generally after the middle of the 20th century. In the last 70 years, we have abetted an increasing growth in the worldwide plastics production, which has consequently spread into the environment to such a point that we can say to live in a plastic world. In the present work, we conducted a capillary review of the literature on micro and nanoplastic exposure pathways and their potential risk to human health to summarize current knowledge with the intention of better focus future research in this area and fill knowledge gaps. The present study emphasizes the most toxic and dangerous chemical substances that are contained in all plastic products to describe the effects and implications of these hazardous chemicals on human health, providing a detailed overview of studies that have investigated their abundance on microplastics. To date, there is a considerable lack of knowledge on the major additives of concern that are used in the plastic industry, on their fate once microplastics dispose into the environment, and on their consequent effects on human health when associated with micro and nanoplastics. If, on the one hand, microplastics carry toxic chemicals in the ecosystems, thus serving as vectors of transport, they are themselves, on the other hand, a cocktail of hazardous chemicals that are added voluntarily during their production as additives to increase polymer properties and prolong their life. There is considerable complexity involved to understand their impact due to different physical–chemical properties that make microplastics multifaceted stressors. However, the implications of microplastics are not yet thoroughly understood. ![]() ![]() The distribution and abundance of microplastics into the world are so extensive that many scientists use them as key indicators of the recent and contemporary period defining a new historical epoch: The Plasticene. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |