ReviewEnvironment & health (Washington, D.C.)2023
Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects.
Review in Environment & health (Washington, D.C.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 137 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
137 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Micro- and nanoplastics in the human genitourinary system: oncological impact - a systematic review.BJU international · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review of the potential neurotoxicity of micro-and nanoplastics: the known and unknown.Particle and fibre toxicology · 2025Pooled it
- Gut microbiome remodeling induced by microplastic exposure in humans.Gut microbes · 2026Review
- Human Exposure to Micro- and Nanoplastics:Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Review
- Article
- Polyurethane-Derived Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Sources, Human Exposure, and Toxicological and Health Effects.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Microplastics in human lung tissue from autopsy samples collected in 1991 and 2024: a comparative post-mortem study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Microplastic-Mediated Gene Expression Alterations and Cancer Risk: Insights from Toxicogenomic Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Interfacial Engineering of Dual-Layer Au-Shelled Ag Nanowires: Decoupling Chemical Stability From Ultrasensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Activity.Small science · 2026Article
- Corundum Aggregates With Microplastics Revealed by Raman Scattering and Fluorescence Study of Children's Urine in Hospital Environment.Journal of biophotonics · 2026Article
- Intravenous Exposure to Amino-polystyrene Induces Excessive Autophagy and Apoptosis in Myocardium Through ROS Driven PI3K/AKT/mTOR Axis.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2026Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics as Environmental Stressors: Mechanistic Links Among Gut Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Systemic Health Effects.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Deep Learning-Driven Discovery and Engineering of an Efficient PETase for Depolymerization and Detoxification of PET Microplastics Under Physiological Conditions.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Challenges and solutions in the analysis of micro- and nanoplastics down to 500 nm with automated Raman microspectroscopy: suitable filters, accuracy in the detection, identification, and quantification.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2026Article
- AcuteBiology · 2026Article
- A Multispectral Pulsed-Transmission Laser-Diode Sensor Concept for Real-Time In Situ Assessment of Microplastics in Water.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Gaps between Laboratory Experiments and Real-World Exposure: Toxicological Assessment of Microplastics Is Based on Inadequate Evidence.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Review
- Assessing the Martini Force Field for Modeling Polyolefin Nanoplastics near Lipid Membranes.The journal of physical chemistry. B · 2026Article
- Microbial and Insect Gut-Mediated Polystyrene Microplastic Degradation for Environmental Remediation Applications.Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The effects of nanoplastics on toxicity of metals and metal nanoparticles: molecular mechanisms and health effects.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
77 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous in the global environment. As a typical emerging pollutant, its potential health hazards have been widely concerning. In this brief paper, we introduce the source, identification, toxicity, and health hazard of microplastics in the human. The literature review shows that microplastics are frequently detected in environmental and human samples. Humans are potentially exposed to microplastics through oral intake, inhalation, and skin contact. We summarize the toxic effects of microplastics in experimental models like cells, organoids, and animals. These effects consist of oxidative stress, DNA damage, organ dysfunction, metabolic disorder, immune response, neurotoxicity, as well as reproductive and developmental toxicity. In addition, the epidemiological evidence suggests that a variety of chronic diseases may be related to microplastics exposure. Finally, we put forward the gaps in toxicity research of microplastics and their future development directions. This review will be helpful to the understanding of the exposure risk and potential health hazards of microplastics.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.