Currently, microplastics represent a widespread contamination found in almost every part of the environment. The plastic industry has generated waste since the 1950s, which unfortunately now counts in the millions. The largest share of plastic consumption is used to produce packaging materials, including those applied in the food industry. The versatility of plastic materials is mainly due to their lightness, flexibility, strength, and persistence. Although plastic materials are widely used due to their beneficial properties, contamination of the environment with microplastics and nanoplastics is an emerging problem worldwide. This type of contamination is endangering animal life and thus also the food chain and public health. This review summarizes the knowledge about microplastics in the food chain. The effect of microplastics on the food chain has been particularly studied in marine organisms, and research deals less with other food commodities. Therefore, based on the studied literature, we can conclude that the issue is still not sufficiently examined, and should be paid more attention to maintain the health of the population.

Stem cell therapy has been proposed to be an alternative therapy in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), not eligible for endovascular or surgical revascularization. We compared the therapeutic effects of intramuscular (IM) and intra-arterial (IA) delivery of bone marrow cells (BMCs) and investigated the factors associated with therapeutic benefits. Forty-one patients (mean age, 66 ± 10 years; 35 males) with advanced CLI (Rutherford category, 5 and 6) not eligible for revascularization were randomized to treatment with 40 ml BMCs using local IM ( n = 21) or selective IA infusion ( n = 20). Primary endpoints were limb salvage and wound healing. Secondary endpoints were changes in transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcpO₂), quality-of-life questionnaire (EQ5D), ankle–brachial index (ABI), and pain scale (0–10). Patients with limb salvage and wound healing were considered to be responders to BMC therapy. At 6-month follow-up, overall limb salvage was 73% (27/37) and 10 subjects underwent major amputation. Four patients died unrelated to stem cell therapy. There was significant improvement in tcpO₂(15 ± 10 to 29 ± 13 mmHg, p < 0.001), pain scale (4.4 ± 2.6 to 0.9 ± 1.4, p < 0.001), and EQ5D (51 ± 15 to 70 ± 13, p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in the Rutherford category of CLI (5.0 ± 0.2 to 4.3 ± 1.6, p < 0.01). There were no differences among functional parameters in patients undergoing IM versus IA delivery. Responders ( n = 27) were characterized by higher CD34⁺cell counts in the bone marrow concentrate (CD34⁺29 ± 15×10⁶vs. 17 ± 12×10⁶, p < 0.05) despite a similar number of total nucleated cells (4.3 ± 1.4×10⁹vs. 4.1 ± 1.2×10⁹, p = 0.66) and by a lower level of C-reactive protein (18 ± 28 vs. 100 ± 96 mg/L, p < 0.05) as well as serum leukocytes (8.3 ± 2.1×10⁹/L vs. 12.3 ± 4.5×10⁹/L, p < 0.05) as compared with nonresponders (10 patients). Both IM and IA delivery of autologous stem cells are effective therapeutic strategies in patients with CLI. A higher concentration of CD34⁺cells and a lower degree of inflammation are associated with better clinical therapeutic responses.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are among the persistent organic pollutants characterized by their persistence in the environment, high mobility, and adverse impact not only on the ecosystem but also on human health. The biggest challenges in human biomonitoring are the low concentrations of PFASs in biological matrices and the presence of matrix interferents in samples. The combination of liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) as a sample preparation technique appears to be the most suitable solution for achieving the desired selectivity and sensitivity in PFAS determination. The aim of this review is to describe possible sources of PFASs, their presence in various human matrices, analytical methods for determining PFASs in different biological matrices using various pretreatment techniques for complex samples, as well as adverse health risks associated with PFAS exposure. The most studied PFASs include PFOA and PFOS, which are most frequently detected in matrices such as plasma, serum, and breast milk. The average concentrations of PFOA range from 1.0 to 2.6 ng.mL⁻¹ in plasma, 1.9 to 2.4 ng.mL⁻¹ in serum, and 0.4 to 3.1 ng.mL⁻¹ in breast milk. For PFOS, the average concentrations were 2.0–4.0 ng.mL⁻¹, 3.7–4.6 ng.mL⁻¹, and 3.6–4.8 ng.mL⁻¹ for plasma, serum, and breast milk, respectively. The most significant health effects associated with exposure to long-chain PFASs (such as PFOA and PFOS) include lipid disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, infertility, cancer, obesity, autism, neurodevelopmental issues, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney and liver disorders. It is of utmost importance to monitor PFAS exposure, predict their toxicity, and develop effective strategies to mitigate their potential effects on human health.