Marine microplastic debris: An emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health

Luís Gabriel Antão Barboza*, A. Dick Vethaak, Beatriz R.B.O. Lavorante, Anne Katrine Lundebye, Lúcia Guilhermino

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)336-348
Number of pages13
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume133
Early online date19 Jun 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2018

Funding

We are grateful to Chelsea Rochman for comments on an earlier draft. L.G.A. Barboza acknowledges financial support from a CAPES /Scholarship (No. Bex 13568/13-2 ) under the “Science without Borders” programme. B. Lavorante acknowledges financial support with a post-doc fellowship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil, (Process Number: 233861/2014-9 ). This study was carried out in the scope of the project “PLASTICGLOBAL – Assessment of plastic-mediated chemicals transfer in food webs of deep, coastal and estuarine ecosystems under global change scenarios”, co-funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia , I.P. (FCT), Portugal, with national funds (FCT/MCTES, “orçamento de Estado”, project reference PTDC/MAR-PRO/1851/2014 ) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE 2020 ( POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016885 ) and Lisboa 2020 ( LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-016885 ) programmes. The study was also supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT and ERDF in the framework of the programme Portugal 2020 to CIIMAR, and by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (ICBAS), Portugal (Department of Populations Study, Laboratory of Ecotoxicology – ECOTOX).

FundersFunder number
COMPETE 2020
FCT/MCTES
ICBAS
Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar of the University of Porto
Lisboa 2020
Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaPTDC/MAR-PRO/1851/2014
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior13568/13-2
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico233861/2014-9
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Excitotoxicidade e Neuroproteção
European Regional Development FundPOCI-01-0145-FEDER-016885

    Keywords

    • Additives
    • Emerging food contaminants
    • Human health
    • Microplastics
    • Seafood safety
    • Toxicity

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