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Review
. 2024 Mar 18;10(6):e28291.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28291. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.

Micro and nano plastics in fruits and vegetables: A review

Nina-Nicoleta Lazăr  1 , Mădălina Călmuc  1 , Ștefania-Adelina Milea  1 , Puiu-Lucian Georgescu  1   2 , Cătălina Iticescu  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Micro and nano plastics in fruits and vegetables: A review

Nina-Nicoleta Lazăr et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Plastics are becoming common environmental pollutants. Plants behave as access routes for plastics in the trophic chain since they can adsorb particles through their roots or on their surfaces. In this review, various methods for sample preparation and analytical methods for plastic isolation and identification from vegetables, fruits, and their seedlings were discussed. The effects that plastic particles have on them were also addressed. All of the studies offer convincing proof that micro and nano plastics already exist in fruits and vegetables, or can easily enter into their seedlings and have a variety of effects. Since most studies have been conducted under strictly controlled conditions using standard plastics, more tests under more environmentally realistic conditions are required to ensure that literature studies are applicable. Also, more fruits and vegetables need to be tested to identify the number of plastics currently there that, when consumed, could harm human health.

Keywords: Food; Fruits; Microplastics; Nanoplastics; Plants; Vegetables.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The general sources of MPs and NPs pollution.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Number of articles from 2014 to 2023 period resulted for each searched keyword.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The schematic illustration of consecutive steps involved in the extraction of MPs and NPs from fruits and vegetables.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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