One Health Perspectives on Microplastic Pollution: Environmental Fate, Cross-Species Health Risks, Microbial Interactions, and Future Mitigation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/jaz.v43i1.5433Keywords:
microplastics, One Health, plastisphere, antibiotic resistance genes, monitoring, mitigation, biodegradation, waste managementAbstract
Background: Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants that affect environmental, animal, and human health through multiple exposure pathways and complex biotic interactions. A One Health approach—bridging disciplines and sectors—is essential to understand and mitigate these multifaceted risks.
Objective: This review synthesizes literature (2015–2022) on microplastic occurrence, exposure pathways, biological impacts, microbial interactions, mitigation technologies, and policy responses through a One Health lens. It highlights major findings, methodological gaps, and priority actions for research, surveillance, and governance.
Methods: We organized thematic evidence from a comprehensive literature selection and citation-chaining process that prioritized interdisciplinary studies connecting toxicology, ecology, epidemiology, and policy. Key topics include exposure pathways (ingestion, inhalation, dermal), trophic transfer and bioaccumulation, microplastic-associated biofilms and antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) dissemination, sentinel species monitoring, mitigation approaches (source reduction, waste management, bioremediation, filtration), and policy frameworks. Strengths and limitations of current studies are critically examined.
Results: The literature documents pervasive microplastic contamination across terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric compartments, with demonstrated bioaccumulation and trophic transfer. Microplastics act as vectors for chemical additives, pathogens, and ARGs, with biofilms playing dual roles in pathogen transmission and biodegradation potential. Proposed mitigation strategies emphasize source reduction, circular-economy interventions, improved waste management—including pandemic-related biomedical waste controls—and technological innovations such as microbial biodegradation and advanced filtration. However, empirical evaluations of mitigation effectiveness are limited, methodologies are heterogeneous, and longitudinal human-health data are scarce.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Subrata Saha, Manjil Gupta, Debangana Saha, Pradip Kumar Kar, Rachita Saha
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