Exploring the impact of polystyrene microplastics on human health: unravelling the health implications of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs): a comprehensive study on cytotoxicity, reproductive health, human exposure, and exposure assessment

Toxicol Res (Camb). 2024 Apr 21;13(2):tfae063. doi: 10.1093/toxres/tfae063. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Abstract

This investigation explores the various impacts that polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) have on human health. As most of the plastic materials affect human health when they release leachable toxic substances that affect human health, this causes a negative effect that determines poor health conditions and leads to health hazards associated with plastic toxins routed in the human body, such as: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Biphenyls etc. The study includes micro-plastic exposure assessment on testicular structure analysis, and cytotoxicity evaluations of different human cell types. The findings clarified the possible dangers of PS-MPs exposure from food, medications, and common products, emphasising the necessity of standard specimen handling procedures for precise biomonitoring.

Keywords: biomonitoring; cytotoxicity; human health; polystyrene microplastics; testicular affect assessment; toxicant exposure.