Entry Pathway and Potential Impacts of Microplastics in Air, Water, Soil and Human Health: A Review

In this study, we discuss the existence and impact of microplastics (MPs) in different ecosystems, including water, soil, air, and the human body, as well as the absorption of pollutants into these microplastic particles. Airborne MPs have been detected in the atmosphere as well as indoors and outdoors. MPs in the air, in addition to inherent toxicity, may cause more risks to human health and the environment than virgin MPs through the absorption of pollutants and chemicals. Due to the widespread use of plastics around the world, the abundance of MPs in aquatic environments has increased. MPs can be ingested by a wide range of marine organisms, so it is possible that contaminated MPs cause mechanical damage to organisms and there is also the possibility of contamination being transmitted to marine organisms and the marine food web. Accumulation of MPs in the soil can cause them to be absorbed by plants and transport these MPs particles and pollutants absorbed by them along the food chain. Highly populated urban centers, industries or large-scale agriculture are the main causes of soil contamination by MPs. MPs can find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe. Researchers were able to find MPs particles in all human tissues studied.