Assessment of Microplastics in Packaged Drinking Water Consumed by Children and Their Environmental Implications

Microplastics and nanoplastics, as emerging environmental pollutants, have raised increasing concerns regarding children's health. Packaged drinking waters, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene bottles, represent a major pathway for these particles to enter children's bodies. This review study aimed to collect and analyze existing data on children's exposure to microplastics in packaged water and their environmental consequences. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using the keywords Microplastics, Bottled Water, Children’s Consumables, and Microplastics and Children within the period ۲۰۲۰–۲۰۲۵. The results indicate that microplastics, due to children's physiological characteristics, consumption-to-body-weight ratio, and immune system sensitivity, can induce systemic, inflammatory, and metabolic effects. Furthermore, the widespread presence of these particles in aquatic and terrestrial environments disrupts ecosystems, reduces biodiversity, and facilitates re-entry into the food chain. These findings underscore that children's exposure to microplastics constitutes a significant public health and environmental challenge, highlighting the necessity for preventive measures including water quality control, packaging improvements, reduction of single-use plastics, parental awareness, and coordinated national and international policies

کلیدواژه ها:

Microplastics ، Bottled Water ، Children’s Consumables ، Microplastics and Children