REVIEW article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Toxicology, Pollution and the Environment
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1606332
A review of microplastic pollution and human health risk assessment: current knowledge and future outlook
Provisionally accepted- 1Dong Nai University of Technology, Bien Hoa, Southeast Region, Vietnam
- 2Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam
- 3College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
- 4Văn Lang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- 5Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management, Science and Technology Advanced Institute, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- 6Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
- 7School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
- 8Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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The rapid growth of the global population, coupled with the expansion of industrial, agricultural, commercial, and service activities, has led to a significant increase in microplastic contamination in aquatic environments. An estimated 265 million metric tons of plastic waste are produced globally each year, with about 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tons ending up in the ocean.Microplastics can infiltrate the food chain or come into contact with humans through the skin, eventually penetrating and accumulating in the body. Globally, individuals are estimated to consume between 11,845 and 193,200 microplastic particles per year, with drinking water identified as the primary source. The toxicity of microplastics stems from both their inherent properties and their ability to interact with other pollutants, such as heavy metals. Adverse health effects linked to microplastic exposure include metabolic disruptions, transport to internal organs, inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and potential damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, along with possible carcinogenic outcomes. Despite these concerns, there are currently no standardized methods for assessing the human health risks associated with microplastic exposure. There is a critical need for in-depth research to clarify the toxicological impacts and health risks of microplastics, along with the development of reliable risk assessment frameworks. This review seeks to present a comprehensive summary of microplastic levels in aquatic systems, their possible effects on human health, and the methodologies currently used to assess these risks.
Keywords: Microplastics, toxicity of microplastics, aquatic environment, Human health risks, Microplastic exposure
Received: 05 Apr 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hoang, Nguyen, Zhang, Tran, Mukherjee and Naidu. 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: Huu Tuan Tran, Văn Lang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
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