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Drinking water is one of the primary sources of microplastic exposure in humans. However, the extent to which microplastics in drinking water contribute to overall human health remains unclear. The aim of this work is to assess the characteristics of microplastic contamination in bottled and tap water, explore and explain the geographical distribution of the selected studies, evaluate the extent of human exposure to microplastics, and suggest areas for future research. Based on the latest literature from 2018 to 2023 (n = 66), we quantified the constituent profiles of microplastics in drinking water and explored their global distribution heterogeneity. The outcomes showed that microplastics in drinking water mainly comprised polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Notably, small-sized microplastic fractions (<300 μm) dominated all microplastics, often in the form of fragments and fibers. The average microplastic abundance in tap water was 62.38 particles/L, whereas in bottled water, it was 38.45 particles/L. The abundance of microplastics in drinking water varied globally from 0.0007 particles/L to 6,292 particles/L in Germany. Therefore, common consumers are estimated to ingest 175 particles/capita/day through drinking water. As expected, this review systematically provides scientific evidence for further high-quality research using standardized methods to increase the knowledge of microplastic exposure to humans through drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Human breast milk is a primary route of exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in infants. To understand the associated risks, the occurrence of PFAS in human milk and the toxicokinetics of PFAS in infants need to be addressed. OBJECTIVES: We determined levels of emerging and legacy PFAS in human milk and urine samples from Chinese breastfed infants, estimated renal clearance, and predicted infant serum PFAS levels. METHODS: In total, human milk samples were collected from 1,151 lactating mothers in 21 cities in China. In addition, 80 paired infant cord blood and urine samples were obtained from two cities. Nine emerging PFAS and 13 legacy PFAS were analyzed in the samples using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Renal clearance rates (C[L.sub.renals]) of PFAS were estimated in the paired samples. PFAS serum concentrations in infants (< 1 year of age) were predicted using a first-order pharmacokinetic model. RESULTS: All nine emerging PFAS were detected in human milk, with the detection rates of 6:2 CI-PFESA, PFMOAA, and PFO5DoDA all exceeding 70%. The level of 6:2 CI-PFESA in human milk (median concentration = 13.6 ng/L) ranked third after PFOA (336 ng/L) and PFOS (49.7 ng/L). The estimated daily intake (EDI) values of PFOA and PFOS exceeded the reference dose (RfD) of 20ng/kg BW per day recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 78% and 17% of breastfed infant samples, respectively. 6:2 CI-PFESA had the lowest infant C[L.sub.renal] (0.009 mL/kg BW per day), corresponding to the longest estimated half-life of 49 y. The average half-lives of PFMOAA, PFO2HxA, and PFO3OA were 0.221, 0.075, and 0.304 y, respectively. The C[L.sub.renals] of PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA were slower in infants than in adults. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the widespread occurrence of emerging PFAS in human milk in China. The relatively high EDIs and halflives of emerging PFAS suggest potential health risks of postnatal exposure in newborns. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11403, Introduction Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad range of synthetic chemicals widely used as water- and oil-repellents in textiles, food packaging, and leather; processing aids in the fluoropolymer [...]

Ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution is a leading environmental health threat worldwide. PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1.0 μm, also known as PM1, has been implicated in the morbidity and mortality of several cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular diseases. However, previous studies have mostly focused on analyzing fine PM (PM2.5) associated with disease metrics, such as emergency department visits and mortality, rather than ultrafine PM, including PM1. This study aimed to evaluate the association between short-term PM1 exposure and hospital admissions (HAs) for all-cause diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory infections (RIs), as well as the associated expenditures, using Beijing as a case study. Here, based on air pollution and hospital admission data in Beijing from 2015 to 2017, we performed a time-series analysis and meta-analysis. It was found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in the PM1 concentration significantly increased all-cause disease HAs by 0.07% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): [0, 0.14%]) in Beijing between 2015 and 2017, while the COPD and RI-related HAs were not significantly associated with short-term PM1 exposure. Meanwhile, we estimated the attributable number of HAs and hospital expenditures related to all-cause diseases. This study revealed that an average of 6644 (95% CI: [351, 12,917]) cases of HAs were attributable to ambient PM1, which was estimated to be associated with a 106 million CNY increase in hospital expenditure annually (95% CI: [5.6, 207]), accounting for 0.32% (95% CI: [0.02, 0.62%]) of the annual total expenses. The findings reported here highlight the underlying impact of ambient PM pollution on health risks and economic burden to society and indicate the need for further policy actions on public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]