New threats in food products: micro- and nanoplastics are food and water contaminants

One of the pressing problems of food chemistry is the study of foreign substances and materials (contaminants) entering the body with food products. The widespread use of plastics in various spheres of society causes the release of waste polymer materials into the environment, including water resources. Recently, a new food safety threat was discovered in the form of small synthetic polymer particles. Micro- and nanosized plastic particles are able to pass through filter systems, even getting into purified water. According to numerous studies, micro- and nanoplastic particles are found in bottled water and drinks. The potential toxicity of microplastic particles makes it promising to carry out research work in the fi eld of analyzing the patterns of their destruction in various environments and studying the eff ect on living organisms, as well as to develop methods for determining micro- and nanoplastics in various food products and water.