Linking Microplastics Exposure to Endocrine Disruption in Human Populations

Abstract

In this paper, we examine a new and still developing risk related to the exposure of microplastics and the disruption of endocrine activity in human systems. It seeks to outline the possible routes of microplastics translocating into the human body, alongside the interactions with the endocrine system directly or through adsorbed chemicals.” The proposed methodology is interdisciplinary and integrates environmental microplastic investigation, human bioassessment, and epidemiological research together with in vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluations. Results are expected to verify the foreshadowed hypotheses of the correlation between the body burden of microplastics with the change in concentration of certain hormones and the reproductive health indicators, mostly due to leaching of additives and sorbed endocrine disrupting substances. This paper highlights the gap of available comprehensive evidence and policies aimed to constrain public health harms due to Microplastic contamination in regard to general public health-focused research.