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Advancements in Assays for Micro- and Nanoplastic Detection: Paving the Way for Biomonitoring and Exposomics Studies
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This review surveys the latest methods for detecting micro and nanoplastics in human tissues and bodily fluids, including blood, breast milk, stool, and lung tissue. Current detection techniques have significant limitations in sensitivity and standardization, making it difficult to accurately measure how much plastic is in people's bodies. Developing better, scalable detection methods is essential for understanding the true extent of human microplastic exposure and its health consequences.
Although plastic pollution and exposure to plastic-related compounds have received worldwide attention, health risks associated with micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are largely unknown. Emerging evidence suggests MNPs are present in human biofluids and tissue, including blood, breast milk, stool, lung tissue, and placenta; however, exposure assessment is limited and the extent of human exposure to MNPs is not well known. While there is a critical need to establish robust and scalable biomonitoring strategies to assess human exposure to MNPs and plastic-related chemicals, over 10,000 chemicals have been linked to plastic manufacturing with no existing standardized approaches to account for even a fraction of these exposures. This review provides an overview of the status of methods for measuring MNPs and associated plastic-related chemicals in humans, with a focus on approaches that could be adapted for population-wide biomonitoring and integration with biological response measures to develop hypotheses on potential health effects of plastic exposures. We also examine the exposure risks associated with the widespread use of chemical additives in plastics. Despite advancements in analytical techniques, there remains a pressing need for standardized measurement protocols and untargeted, high-throughput analysis methods to enable comprehensive MNP biomonitoring to identify key MNP exposures in human populations. This review aims to merge insights into the toxicological effects of MNPs and plastic additives with an evaluation of analytical challenges, advocating for enhanced research methods to fully assess, understand, and mitigate the public health implications of MNPs.
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Scientists now detect microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas, and other tissues, but the field still lacks a single gold-standard method for measuring them. This review compares the strengths and limitations of current detection techniques — including spectroscopy, microscopy, and chemical digestion — to help standardize how microplastics in the human body are quantified, which is a prerequisite for accurately assessing health risks.
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This review compiles 91 studies showing that microplastics have been detected in human blood, urine, stool, lung tissue, breast milk, semen, and placenta, confirming widespread human exposure. While our bodies have some ability to clear these particles, microplastics that accumulate in tissues may trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, gut disruption, and reproductive problems. The authors stress that more standardized monitoring methods are needed to fully understand the health consequences.
Effects of Microplastics on the Human Body and Methods of Detection
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This review summarized how microplastics and nanoplastics enter the human body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and outlined current detection methods used to identify them in biological samples. The authors found that while evidence of tissue accumulation is growing, health effect thresholds and standardized exposure metrics are still lacking.
Methods for identifying microplastics in human biofluids: scoping review
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics are showing up in human body fluids, and scientists are still figuring out the best way to detect and measure them. This review looked at existing studies to compare the different testing methods researchers use, finding that there's currently no standard approach—which makes it hard to know exactly how much plastic is in our bodies or compare results across studies. This matters because before we can understand the health risks of microplastics, scientists need reliable, consistent ways to detect them in the first place.
Microplastics in Humans: A Critical Review of Biomonitoring Evidence and Immune–Metabolic Associations
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This review critically evaluates the current evidence on microplastic detection in human tissues and biological fluids, focusing on methodological challenges and the potential biological mechanisms of action. Researchers found significant variation across studies due to differences in analytical techniques and sample handling protocols. The study highlights emerging evidence linking microplastic presence in the body to immune and metabolic disruptions, while noting that standardized detection methods are urgently needed.
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