[en] The present report deals with the study of the difficulties derived from plastic and microplastics at environmental and human levels. It is structured in two parts. In the first part, a evaluation of the degree of knowledge and concern of citizens about this problem is done from a social perspective. To achieve this, the amount of information given by the local press is assessed and an online survey among two population grupos was performed. It is found that despite the fact that the information given on the environmental problem of plastic is considerably high, there is not as much related to microplastics, so survey respondents answered do not seem to be informed on the subject. For this reason, an informative video was included at the end of the survey. In general, survey respondents had a good attitude towards the sustainable use of plastic materials. In the second part, the degree of inclusion of metals present in microplastics into our organism is assessed by performing oral bioavailability essays of Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Sn in microplastics (virgin PET), which have previously undergone a metal adsorption process. It is confirm that approximately 20 % of the Cu and 50 % of the Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb and Sb concentration released from the microplastic are bioavailable. It was also found that metal content desorbed from the microplastic can came from both PET polymeric matrix itself (from 40 % to 80 % for Cu, Fe, Mn and Sb) and from the metal fraction adsorbed during the exposure of the microplastic to metal pollutants in the marine environment (up to 100 % for Cr and Pb).

[gl] O presente traballo céntrase no estudo da problemática derivada dos plásticos e os microplásticos a nivel ambiental e na saúde humana. Estructúrase en dúas partes. Na primeira abórdase a temática desde unha perspectiva social para avaliar o grao de interese e coñecemento dos individuos sobre esta problemática. Para isto, evalúase o volume de información divulgada na prensa local de maior difusión e elabórase unha enquisa en liña dirixida a dous grupos de poboación. Compróbase que malia a información difundida sobre a problemática dos plásticos é moi elevada, non o é a relativa ós microplásticos e os enquisados mostran non estar ben informados. Considérase de interese un vídeo divulgativo que se incorporou ó final da enquisa. En xeral, os enquisados mostran unha boa actitude de cara ó uso sostible dos materiais plásticos. Na segunda parte, avalíase o grao de incorporación ó noso organismo de metais presentes en microplásticos, realizando ensaios de biodispoñibilidade oral de Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb e Sn en microplásticos (PET virxe), que previamente sometéronse a un proceso de adsorción metálica. Compróbase que aproximadamente entre o 20% do Cu e o 50% da concentración de Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb e Sb liberados desde o microplástico son biodispoñibles. Tamén se notou que o contido metálico desorbido desde o microplástico pode proceder tanto da propia matriz polimérica do PET (do 40% ó 80% para o Cu, Fe, Mn e Sb) como da fracción metálica desorbida durante a exposición do microplástico ós contaminantes metálicos no medio mariño (ata o 100% para o Cr e Pb).