Microplastics, environment and child health

[...]due to their hydrophobic surface, MPs can adsorb and concentrate to a high degree hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [7]. Most studies have focused on foods of marine origin including invertebrates, crustaceans, and fish [17, 18] but MPs have been found also in sea salt coming from different countries [19], primarily fragments but also filaments and films. [...]a very unexplored field, that must be investigated, are possible changes induced by MPs on the human microbiota which today is considered of great importance for the effects it can have on various immunological and metabolic disorders [31, 32]. [...]today there is a need to develop research on the impact that MPs can have on human health, avoiding easy mass-media alarmism and setting up work based on shared methodologies [33, 34] that also take into account the total exposure (exposome) that an individual can have towards plastic substances in general and /or towards chemical substances contained in plastics but not only in these [35]. [...]current knowledge on the possible short and long term consequences of exposure to MPs on the health of children and adults should prompt to deepen further the relationships between environment and health.