Presence and impacts of microplastics in bovine livestock systems: a literature review.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66778/RA.a10n29.05Keywords:
Animal health, Environmental pollution, Forage, ManureAbstract
This systematic review synthesizes the available evidence on the presence, sources, and effects of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in dairy and beef cattle production systems. The search was conducted in the Scopus database between January and October 2025, considering English-language publications from 2004 to 2025, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Twelve peer-reviewed studies were included, addressing matrices such as forages, concentrates, manure, water, and dairy products. The predominant polymers were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyamides (PA), with sizes generally less than 500 µm and fibrous morphology. Livestock feed and drinking water are the main entry routes, while manure represents a sink and vector for environmental recirculation. The presence of MPs has been confirmed in raw milk and dairy proteins, suggesting potential transfer to products consumed by humans. Under in vitro conditions, particulate matter (PM) affected ruminal fermentation, methanogenic microbiota, and methane production. Furthermore, the application of contaminated manure promotes the progressive accumulation of particles in agricultural soils. Available evidence demonstrates that bovine systems maintain an internal cycle of PM exposure, encompassing agricultural inputs and animal products, with implications for animal health, food safety, and environmental sustainability. Existing methodological limitations and the need to standardize analytical techniques and reporting units to advance risk assessment are highlighted.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Pablo Acuña-Fuentes, José Leyton, Matías Betancur, Sergio Moraga-Bustos, Daniela Valencia-Orge, Carla Sobarzo-Palma, Constanza García-Castillo, Andrés Pinto-Poblete
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