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Separation and Detection of Microplastics in Human Exposure Pathways: Challenges, Analytical Techniques, and Emerging Solutions
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This review examines the challenges of detecting and measuring microplastics in human tissues and body fluids, where they have been confirmed to exist. Current methods struggle with very small particles (nanoplastics) and lack standardized procedures, making it hard to accurately assess how much plastic is in our bodies. The authors highlight promising new technologies like microfluidic systems and AI-assisted analysis that could improve our ability to measure human exposure.
Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as widespread environmental contaminants, with confirmed presence in human tissues and biological fluids through ingestion, inhalation, and direct systemic exposure. Their potential impacts on human health have become an important subject of scientific investigation. The detection and quantification of MPs, particularly nanoplastics, in complex biological matrices remain challenging because of their low concentrations, diverse physicochemical properties, and interference from organic and inorganic matter. This review presents a critical assessment of current methods for the separation and detection of MPs from human-relevant samples. It examines pre-treatment, separation, and analytical approaches including physical filtration, density-based separation, chemical and enzymatic digestion, vibrational spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and electron microscopy, highlighting their principles, advantages, and limitations. Key challenges such as low sample throughput, absence of standardized procedures, and the difficulty of nanoplastic detection are identified as major barriers to accurate exposure assessment and risk evaluation. Recent advances, including functionalized adsorbents, improved anti-fouling membranes, integrated microfluidic systems, and artificial intelligence-assisted spectral analysis, are discussed for their potential to provide sensitive, scalable, and standardized analytical workflows. By integrating current challenges with recent innovations, this review aims to guide multidisciplinary research toward the development of reliable and reproducible detection strategies that can support MPs exposure assessment and inform evidence-based health policies.
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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.
The Development and Prospect of Microplastic Detection and Analysis Technology
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This review paper takes stock of the tools scientists use to detect microplastics—tiny plastic particles that have been found in our water, food, and even our bodies—and finds that no single method is good enough yet to reliably catch the smallest, most concerning particles (nanoplastics). This matters because better detection technology, especially tools combining AI with chemical analysis, is a necessary first step before we can accurately understand how much plastic we're actually exposed to and what it might mean for our health.
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.
Advancements and challenges in microplastic detection and risk assessment: Integrating AI and standardized methods
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This review examines current methods for detecting and measuring microplastics in water, soil, and biological samples, including microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The authors highlight how artificial intelligence could make detection faster and more accurate. Standardized testing methods and better health risk assessments are needed to understand and manage the dangers microplastics pose to human health.
Microplastics: challenges of assessment in biological samples and their implication for in vitro and in vivo effects
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This review examines the challenges of detecting and assessing microplastics in biological samples, noting that analytical limitations and lack of standardized methods hinder our understanding of health effects. The study highlights that humans are exposed to microplastics primarily through ingestion and inhalation, and that more long-term studies with standardized protocols are needed to understand the full scope of potential biological impacts.
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