COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF MICROPLASTICS TRANSFER FROM THE ENVIRONMENT INTO THE HUMAN BODY, THEIR TOXIC EFFECTS, AND HYGIENIC RISK EVALUATION

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) — plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter — have emerged as one of the most pervasive and insidious environmental contaminants of the 21st century. Since the widespread adoption of synthetic polymers in the mid-20th century, plastic production has grown exponentially, reaching over 400 million metric tons annually. Owing to the recalcitrance of plastic polymers to biological degradation, these materials persist in ecosystems for centuries, gradually fragmenting into progressively smaller particles. Today, microplastics have been detected in virtually every environmental compartment examined — from deep ocean sediments and Arctic ice cores to agricultural soils, freshwater systems, and urban atmospheric aerosols. Alarmingly, microplastics and their nanoscale derivatives (nanoplastics, <1 µm) are now routinely detected in human biological matrices, including blood, lung tissue, placental tissue, and breast milk, signaling a transition from an environmental problem to a direct human health concern.