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Deciphering potential implications of dietary microplastics for human health

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2022)Cite this article

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A new report from the World Health Organization has evaluated the risks of dietary exposure to nanoplastic and microplastic particles (NMPs) to human health. Although challenges in the detection of NMPs in food and beverages remain, it is clear that humans are being exposed. Presently, no convincing evidence of adverse health effects are found, but major knowledge gaps remain.

On 30 August 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report on the potential implications of nanoplastic and microplastic particles (NMPs) for human health1. There is growing public concern about NMPs in marine and freshwater ecosystems and as contaminants of food and drinks. Such concerns include the effects of the plastic polymers or monomers themselves, the additives used for plastic manufacturing and adsorbed chemical contaminants, and the potential risks of NMP biofilms as vectors of infectious disease transmission. Although there are many knowledge gaps regarding the actual risks to human health of exposure to NMPs, the WHO report defines the current state of knowledge and key avenues for future research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank B. Koelmans (Wageningen University, Wageningen) and V. Janmaat (Erasmus University, Rotterdam) for stimulating discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Luc J. W. van der Laan

  2. Leiden University College, Leiden University, The Hague, Netherlands

    Thijs Bosker

  3. Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

    Thijs Bosker & Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg

  4. National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Safety of Substances and Products, Bilthoven, Netherlands

    Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg

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  1. Luc J. W. van der Laan
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Correspondence to Luc J. W. van der Laan.

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van der Laan, L.J.W., Bosker, T. & Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M. Deciphering potential implications of dietary microplastics for human health. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-022-00734-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-022-00734-3

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