Microplastics and nanoplastics may be doing more harm to the human body than previously understood, with researchers warning that these tiny particles could play a role in liver disease.
Writing in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology on Thursday, the scientists said exposure to these plastics has already been shown to trigger oxidative stress, fibrogenesis, and inflammation in animals, all of which closely resemble features of advanced liver disease in humans.
The researchers said the liver is especially vulnerable because it works as the body’s main filter, processing and detoxifying everything people eat and drink. That means micro- and nanoplastics could potentially carry harmful substances into the body, including microbial pathogens, antimicrobial resistance elements, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and carcinogenic additives.
Lead author Shilpa Chokshi, Professor of Experimental Hepatology and Director of the Centre of Environmental Hepatology, said liver disease is increasing worldwide and now accounts for 1 in 25 deaths globally. She said major causes such as obesity and harmful alcohol use remain important, but they do not fully explain how quickly liver disease is rising. That has pushed researchers to look more closely at environmental factors like micro- and nanoplastics, which may worsen existing liver damage.
According to the review, there is already strong evidence that plastics can build up in the livers of animals and cause harm, raising serious questions about what they may be doing in humans. The researchers also pointed out major gaps in current knowledge, along with technical and methodological challenges that are slowing efforts to better understand plastic-related liver injury.
Chokshi said evidence is also growing that plastics can collect in human tissues and may be linked to a range of health conditions. She added that in a world filled with plastic in food, water, and air, these particles may not only reach the liver but also interact with ongoing disease processes and increase the damage.
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The researchers said this possibility now needs much deeper investigation. Richard Thompson, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth, said the findings add to growing evidence that plastic pollution is a major global environmental and health problem.
