Exposure to Microplastics and Nanoplastics through Animal-Derived Foods: A One Health Perspective on the Convergence of Environmental and Health Risks
KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.32, sa.5, ss.663-678, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Cilt numarası: 32 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.9775/kvfd.2026.37720
- Dergi Adı: KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.663-678
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pose a significant One Health challenge that transcends the boundaries of the environment, animal and human health, due to their widespread presence in global food systems. This narrative review draws on peer-reviewed literature published up to May 2026 to assess environmental entry points, animal exposure pathways, veterinary health outcomes and impacts on human health. Our analysis confirms that there is strong evidence regarding environmental contamination and entry into aquatic food chains; however, it reveals significant knowledge gaps at the animal-to-human interface, particularly concerning terrestrial farm animal products such as meat, milk and eggs. Toxicological studies indicate that multi-organ pathology can occur at high exposure concentrations; however, inferences regarding real-world dietary exposure are limited by methodological constraints, such as the use of pure polystyrene spheres at doses up to 100.000 times higher than environmental levels and the absence of standardized analytical protocols. Crucially, there is no longitudinal epidemiological evidence for a causal relationship between dietary microplastic ingestion from animal-derived foods and specific clinical outcomes in humans. We propose an integrated One Health surveillance architecture that unites environmental monitoring, animal sentinels, and human biomonitoring. Prioritizing standardized methods, terrestrial product contamination data, and prospective cohort studies is essential for an evidence-based risk assessment that does not undermine the proven nutritional benefits of ADFs.