About this Research Topic
Micro- and nanoplastics are of increasing concern for human health.
Environmental organisms can readily ingest micro- and nanoplastics which bioaccumulate and then move up in the food web from producers to consumers including humans. Recent studies have shown the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in the human organ systems, e.g., blood, lung, liver, kidney, and placenta. Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics is believed to occur largely through ingestion and inhalation potentially leading both to acute and chronic pathophysiology. However, the available literature on the environmental and human safety of micro- and nanoplastic is limited to acute exposure to model plastic particles such as polystyrene spheres while real-life exposure is dominated by a range of plastic polymers, e.g., polyethylene (PE), poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP). In addition, considering the highly bioaccumulative nature of micro- and nanoplastics, the long-term fate and toxicity is of considerable importance. In addition to understanding the effects on human health, another major challenge also lies in the detection and quantification of micro- and nanoplastic in complex biological and environmental systems. Therefore, the proposed article collection is designed to cover both detection of micro- and nanoplastics and human and environmental safety assessment of micro- and nanoplastics.
The focus areas covered in this Research Topic are as follows:
• Detection and quantification of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment and in biological matrices
• New test methods for the safety assessment of micro- and nanoplastics in humans and the environment
• Fate, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment.
• Perturbation of organismal physiology and behavior by exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• Changes in the mammalian gut microbiota upon exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• Changes in the host cellular and metabolic toxicity at acute and chronic time points
• The pathophysiological consequences of acute and chronic exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• The potential toxicity and detrimental effects of exposure using in vitro human cell lines and in vivo models
• Possible accumulation in mammalian and human tissues of ingestion/inhalation of micro- and nanoplastics
Environmental organisms can readily ingest micro- and nanoplastics which bioaccumulate and then move up in the food web from producers to consumers including humans. Recent studies have shown the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in the human organ systems, e.g., blood, lung, liver, kidney, and placenta. Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics is believed to occur largely through ingestion and inhalation potentially leading both to acute and chronic pathophysiology. However, the available literature on the environmental and human safety of micro- and nanoplastic is limited to acute exposure to model plastic particles such as polystyrene spheres while real-life exposure is dominated by a range of plastic polymers, e.g., polyethylene (PE), poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP). In addition, considering the highly bioaccumulative nature of micro- and nanoplastics, the long-term fate and toxicity is of considerable importance. In addition to understanding the effects on human health, another major challenge also lies in the detection and quantification of micro- and nanoplastic in complex biological and environmental systems. Therefore, the proposed article collection is designed to cover both detection of micro- and nanoplastics and human and environmental safety assessment of micro- and nanoplastics.
The focus areas covered in this Research Topic are as follows:
• Detection and quantification of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment and in biological matrices
• New test methods for the safety assessment of micro- and nanoplastics in humans and the environment
• Fate, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment.
• Perturbation of organismal physiology and behavior by exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• Changes in the mammalian gut microbiota upon exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• Changes in the host cellular and metabolic toxicity at acute and chronic time points
• The pathophysiological consequences of acute and chronic exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
• The potential toxicity and detrimental effects of exposure using in vitro human cell lines and in vivo models
• Possible accumulation in mammalian and human tissues of ingestion/inhalation of micro- and nanoplastics
Keywords: micro- and nanoplastics, human health, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, toxicity, long-term effects
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
