Background: Recent studies have highlighted that plastic contamination in air, food and drinking water is ubiquitous and evidence of plastic contamination in humans is growing. Plastic is a vector for heavy metal contamination and has been recently shown to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in humans. Global concern regarding the health implications is mounting, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) having conducted a risk assessment review of plastics. Whilst knowledge gaps exist, we remain to eat, drink and inhale plastic toxins without knowing what harm it is potentially causing or how to detoxify it.

 

Aim: The aims of this review are to improve knowledge on the topic and to provide new insights on plastic bioaccumulation in humans, what is known about the potential health effects and how herbal medicine and nutritional supplements may assist plastic biotransformation. 

 

Methods: I reviewed scientific articles in relation to the extent and sources of microplastic contamination, human biomonitoring studies, articles discussing potential human health implications, articles discussing how plastic toxins are biotransformed and articles examining herbal medicines and nutritional supplementation that support these detoxification processes.

 

Results: The results indicated biomonitoring studies in humans for persisted organic pollutants including toxins are not widespread, that research into biotransformation is a relatively new field and that no research exists that demonstrates how herbal medicines or nutritional supplements may enhance biotransformation to reduce the burden of human plastic contamination. 

 

Conclusion: The findings help highlight that biomonitoring studies in humans need to be widely adopted to help ascertain the true extent of plastic bioaccumulation. Herbal medicine and nutritional supplements may be a valuable tool to enhance biotransformation of plastic contaminants in humans and further research into this area is warranted. The results and applications of this research have the potential to reduce endogenous EDCs and POPs in humans and thus may potentially lead to improved global health outcomes.