Microplastics in food and their effect on human health

Abstract

In recent decades, the exponential increase in the production and use of plastics has led to global contamination by microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 µm), which have been detected in food, water, air, and human tissues. This literature review analyzed 29 scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025, selected based on criteria of relevance, methodological rigor, and experimental evidence, with the aim of synthesizing the available information on the presence of MPs in food and their effects on human health. The results show widespread contamination of food matrices—marine, terrestrial, and processed—as well as bioaccumulation in organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, placenta, and blood. The described toxic effects include oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, and genetic damage, with implications for the digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and reproductive systems. Although their involvement in carcinogenic processes has been proposed, a dose-response relationship and quantitative toxicity thresholds in humans have not yet been established. It is concluded that MPs and NPs constitute an emerging risk to public health, making the development of standardized analytical methods, longitudinal studies, and risk assessments to define safe exposure limits a priority.