Highlights
– High heterogeneity and small size make nanoplastics a challenging issue.
– The One Health Approach is particularly relevant for nanoplastic research.
– Current limitations in nanoplastic research should not hinder mitigation strategies.
– Integrating nanoplastic data on humans, animals, and the environment is critical.
As an issue initially raised by marine environmental scientists, microplastic and nanoplastic pollution has become a research priority and public concern, transitioning into concerns for human health. Conversely, research into ultra-fine particles and engineered nanomaterials took its starting point within the human health research community. Logically, any research area is initially influenced by its historical roots. However, it is important to acknowledge that a truly transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative research approach is needed to solve the nanoplastic problem. Mono-disciplinary studies on nanoplastic have been conducted, but whether and how nanoplastic pollution threatens the environment, health, and the economy has not been elucidated. It will require interdisciplinary dialog and collaboration on all possible levels to support and realize the holistic “One Health Approach”. Metaphorically, there is no silver bullet to the problem of nanoplastic pollution; we can only achieve “One Health” by taking into account the interlinks between humans, animals, plants, and their shared environments at the planetary level in future solutions and actions.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.01.001
Authors: Mohamed Helal, Nanna B. Hartmann*, Farhan R. Khan, Elvis Genbo Xu*
