ReviewOne health outlook2026
Does plastic waste present an infection hazard? Current evidence, surveillance challenges and research priorities.
Review in One health outlook, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Unmanaged plastic waste is widespread in settings with limited waste collection, yet its contribution to infectious disease risk remains poorly understood. In this review, we synthesise current evidence on the human health implications of plastic waste, with a specific focus on environmentally persistent bacteria that are transmitted to humans through the faecal oral route. We examine studies documenting microbial colonisation of plastic surfaces, including pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and assess how well existing human and environmental surveillance systems capture these risks. We also review recent developments in remote sensing for detecting waste accumulation and evaluate spatial and statistical approaches that could link mapped waste to human exposure or infection data. Drawing on this synthesis, we identify major gaps that limit assessment of plastic-associated disease risk and outline key research priorities: improving methods for mapping waste using remotely sensed imagery, characterising spatial and temporal patterns of waste accumulation, and developing exposure metrics that incorporate environmental transport pathways. This review provides a foundation for advancing One Health research on plastic waste and its potential role in disease transmission.
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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.