Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the negative impacts of microplastics on wildlife. Therefore, the presence of microplastics in marine species for human consumption and the high intake of seafood (fish and shellfish) in some countries cause concern about the potential effects of microplastics on human health. In this brief review, the evidence of seafood contamination by microplastics is reviewed, and the potential consequences of the presence of microplastics in the marine environment for human food security, food safety and health are discussed. Furthermore, challenges and gaps in knowledge are identified. The knowledge on the adverse effects on human health due to the consumption of marine organisms containing microplastics is very limited, difficult to assess and still controversial. Thus, assessment of the risk posed to humans is challenging. Research is urgently needed, especially regarding the potential exposure and associated health risk to micro- and nano-sized plastics.
Highlights
Plastics have been found worldwide in the marine environment, with estimates pointing to > 5 trillion plastic debris afloat at sea (Eriksen et al, 2014)
Microplastics are of special concern regarding the environment as well as animal and human health mainly due to their small size, the lack of technology available to quantify the presence of the smallest microplastics in the environment, and their potential to cause adverse effects on the marine biota and humans
Research has shown that shellfish, and a high variety of commercially important fish species are often contaminated with microplastics (Table 1), being a potential route through which human consumers become exposed to these particles and the chemicals they contain (Bouwmeester et al, 2015; GESAMP, 2016)
Summary
Plastics have been found worldwide in the marine environment, with estimates pointing to > 5 trillion plastic debris (over 250,000 tons) afloat at sea (Eriksen et al, 2014). Microplastics absorption, distribution through the circulatory system, and entrance into different tissues and cells can occur, potentially resulting in several types of adverse effects (von Moos et al, 2012; Wright et al, 2013; Pedà et al, 2016; Avio et al, 2017; Chae and An, 2017; Foley et al, 2018) Such effects may be caused by the particles (e.g. physical damage or reaction to it and their chemical components) or chemicals added during the particle manufacturing or sorb to the microplastics during their use or permanence in the environment (Hartmann et al, 2017). Li et al, 2015; Neves et al, 2015; Rochman et al, 2015; Karami et al, 2017a) This evidence raises concerns regarding the ingestion of microplastics by humans through the consumption of marine species contaminated with these particles as food and the potential effects on the human health. The literature providing evidence of the presence of microplastics in human seafood and other food items was reviewed and discussed, and challenges and gaps in knowledge were identified
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