Por Ana Luísa Silva (CESAM - University of Aveiro).

Microplastics (plastic particles of < 5 mm in size) have raised environmental and human health concerns. Trying to understand the extent of this issue, we have witnessed a tremendous increase in scientific papers related to different microplastics involving sampling or sample preparation, analytical determinations, and applications to different types of studies like sorption, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Despite the avalanche of papers being released daily, great challenges related to intercomparison/quality control of the results persist.

This presentation discusses the latest advances in microplastic research, unravelling their distribution, fate, environmental effects, and potential impacts on human health. It explores the challenges in assessing microplastic exposure and toxicity, highlighting the need for standardized methods and collaborative research efforts to bridge knowledge gaps and facilitate informed decision-making.