Nanoplastics: state of knowledge and environmental and human health impacts
date: 19/04/2023
We are pleased to release the full package of our Nanoplastics Future Brief accompanied by the latest multimedia.
Plastics are highly versatile and are ubiquitous in society, fulfilling a wide array of valuable functions in our economy and daily lives. Yet plastic disposal remains a key threat to our natural environment, and the material is accumulating in our soils and seas in unprecedented amounts. In the environment, plastic breaks down to form microplastics and, at even smaller scales, nanoplastics. Research has focused on microplastics rather than nanoplastics – therefore, the situation on nanoplastics’ impact on the environment and human health is unclear.
This Future Brief presents the current situation regarding nanoplastics and the environment, from their detection and analysis through to their potential health risks, dispersal pathways and future outlook.