Microplastics (MPs) represent a current public health concern since toxicity has not yet fully investigated. They were found in several foods, but to the best of our knowledge, at this time no data was reported for the edible vegetables and fruits. We focused on diet exposure aiming to evaluate the number and the size (<10 μm) of MPs in the most commonly consumed vegetables and fruits, in relation to their recommended daily intake too. MPs extraction and analysis were carried out using an innovative Italian methodology and SEM-EDX, respectively. Finally, we calculated the Estimated Daily Intakes (EDIs) for adults and children for each type of vegetal and fruit. The higher median (IQR) level of MPs in fruit and vegetable samples was 223,000 (52,600-307,750) and 97,800 (72,175-130,500), respectively. In particular, apples were the most contaminated fruit samples, while carrot was the most contaminated vegetable. Conversely, the lower median (IQR) level was observed in lettuce samples 52,050 (26,375-75,425). Both vegetable and fruit samples MPs levels were characterized by wide variability. The smallest size of MPs was found in the carrot samples (1.51 μm), while the biggest ones were found in the lettuce (2.52 μm). Both vegetable and fruit samples had size of the MPs characterized by low variability. We found the highest median level of MPs in samples purchased from the "fruiter 3" (124,900 p/g) and the lowest in those purchased in "supermarket" (87,600 p/g). The median size of the MPs had overlapping dimensions in all the purchase sites, with the exception of the samples purchased at the "shop at km zero 2″ which had slightly smaller size (1.81 μm). The highest adults' (4.62 E+05) and children's (1.41 E+06) EDIs are due the ingestion of apples, instead the lowest are due to the ingestion of carrots (adults: 2.96 E+04; children: 1.15 E+05). We hypothesized that the mechanism of uptake and translocation of MPs can be the same described and reported for carbon-nanomaterials. This may be a possible translocation route of MPs by environment to vegetables permitting, so, the translocation or uptake inside of their biological systems. Based on the results obtained it is urgent important to perform toxicological and epidemiological studies to investigate for the possible effects of MPs on human health.

Plastic is widely used for human activities (food packaging, medical, technological devices, etc.) and there is a growing concern regarding the risks for environmental and human health because they have still not been fully evaluated. Particularly, microplastics (primary and secondary) are present in all environmental compartments and this poses a potential threat because of their entry into the food chain. Furthermore, microplastics can absorb numerous pollutants that can be accumulated in the human body through bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes. We carried out a systematic review using a PRISMA approach to verify the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for microplastic removal. The international databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus) were used to find published studies on efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for microplastic removal. The search period was between January 2010 and June 2020. Over 1000 full research papers were initially selected through the use of keywords. After that, the papers were further selected by English language, title, and abstract, and duplicate papers and non-relevant papers were eliminated according to eligibility criteria. Finally, we included 15 full research papers. In each of the 15 full research papers selected, the microplastics identified were categorized by the authors for shape, size, and type of polymers identified. The characterization of the various types of microplastics was performed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) or Raman spectroscopy. We have observed how wastewater treatments plants located in different continents (Europe, Asia, North America) mostly use a primary and secondary type of treatment that allows one to reach a high percentage of microplastics removal from wastewater. Most of the wastewater treatments plants investigated reported a microplastics removal efficiency greater than 90%, but despite this, millions of microplastics continue to be released every day into the aquatic environment. Then, in the near future, efficient and common standardized protocols for monitoring MPs should be drawn up, as well as increasing the knowledge of sources and strategies to further reduce microplastics contamination of treated wastewater.