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Micro- and nanoplastics in human biological materials: a systematic review of detection methods and methodological challenges
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Scientists have found tiny plastic particles in human organs like the placenta, liver, lungs, and kidneys, but this review of existing research reveals a big problem: labs around the world are testing for these particles in wildly inconsistent ways, using different tools, definitions, and measurement units. This makes it hard to know exactly how much plastic is really in our bodies or what health risks it poses—meaning we need more standardized research before drawing firm conclusions about how worried we should be.
Micro- and nanoplastics are an increasing focus in biomedical research, yet their definition, classification, and detection methods remain largely unstandardised. The lack of consistent nomenclature, agreed size criteria, and uniform reporting methods significantly hinders comparison of available data. Therefore, a systematic review of studies on analytical methods for detecting micro- and nanoplastics ex vivo in human biological samples was conducted. Most included studies (63.89%) were published between 2024 and 2025, highlighting the topicality of this research area. Study populations varied widely in age and health status, and sample sizes were often small. The most frequently analysed samples included placenta, kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, and urine, while other tissues were reported sporadically. Detection methods primarily involved microscopic techniques, chromatographic approaches, and Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. Considerable variability was observed in sample preparation procedures, including storage, digestion, and filtration, which may affect analytical sensitivity and specificity. Differences were also noted in quality control strategies and contamination minimisation approaches. Reported particle sizes and concentration units varied substantially, and many studies did not distinguish between microplastics and nanoplastics, treating them as a single category. This further hinders data comparison and the accurate assessment of human exposure.
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Emerging Analytical Methodologies for Micro- and Nano-Plastics Detection in Human Samples: Analytical Challenges and Health Risk Perspectives
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Scientists have found tiny plastic particles (microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics) throughout human organs and body fluids, but this review of existing research shows we still lack reliable, standardized tools to accurately measure them—different labs get different results depending on how they prepare and test samples. While lab studies suggest very small plastic particles can cause cell stress and inflammation, there isn't yet solid evidence directly linking plastic exposure to specific diseases in people—so the biggest takeaway is that we urgently need better testing methods before we can truly understand the health risks these particles pose.
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Scientists keep finding tiny plastic particles in human tissue, but measuring them accurately is surprisingly hard, different labs use different methods and get different results. This paper explains why better, more standardized testing tools are urgently needed before we can truly understand how much plastic is in our bodies and what it might be doing to our health.
Analytical challenges and advances in detecting microplastics in human tissue and organ samples.
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Scientists have found tiny plastic particles in human blood, lungs, and even placentas, but this review of 218 studies reveals a problem: the tools researchers use to detect microplastics aren't consistently reliable, and many studies skip basic quality checks that would confirm their results are accurate. This matters because until testing methods are standardized, it's hard to know exactly how much plastic is really in our bodies or what health risks it poses, the researchers call for stricter, more consistent lab practices to get trustworthy answers.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in human tissues: Systematic review of evidence, analytical protocols, and methodological challenges
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This systematic review pulls together evidence on microplastics and nanoplastics found in human tissues like lungs, liver, and placenta. It confirms that tiny plastic particles are accumulating in our bodies, though detection methods still vary widely between studies, making it hard to compare results.
Analytical Methods for Microplastic Detection in Hepatic and Gastrointestinal Human Tissues: A Review and Methodological Framework
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Scientists have found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in human liver and gut tissue, but this review shows that different labs use very different methods to detect them, making it hard to compare results or know how much plastic is really in our bodies. The researchers didn't discover new health risks, instead, they're calling for standardized testing methods so future studies can give us clearer, more reliable answers about how microplastics affect our health.
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