Microplastic risks in the seafood in terms of food safety and their research methods

Abstract

Plastic waste has accumulated in the aquatic ecosystem as a result of the increasing use of plastic in recent years and their wrong recycling policies. Plastic pollution has become a global problem with its effects on aquatic organisms. Plastics that break down into microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) due to different physical, chemical and biological factors in the environment enter the food chain and directly threaten human health. As a result of widespread plastic pollution, microplastics and nanoplastics are ingested by many different species, from zooplankton, fish, shellfish to marine mammals. Microplastics that enter into marine organisms can move within living tissue and move between tissue and organ. However, some stages in seafood processing technologies can also be a source of microplastic contamination. Physical, chemical and biological toxicity effects caused by microplastics are not fully known yet. In future studies, it is important to examine and determine the source and transmission routes of microplastics in seafood for consumer health. In this review, the risks of microplastics entering the food chain from aquatic ecosystems in seafood products in terms of food safety are discussed, and analytical methods for the identification and extraction of micro-plastics in this research area are examined.