Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

MRI-based microplastic tracking in vivo and targeted toxicity analysis

Researchers developed a new MRI-based method to track microplastics inside living mice over 21 days. They found that the liver was the primary organ where polystyrene microplastics accumulated, and this accumulation led to liver cell death, inflammation, and changes in enzyme levels. This tracking technique could help scientists better understand how microplastics move through and affect biological systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Imaging and quantifying the biological uptake and distribution of nanoplastics using a dual-functional model material

This study used advanced imaging techniques to visualize and quantify nanoplastic uptake and distribution in biological systems, tracking particle translocation from exposure routes into tissues and characterizing intracellular localization.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Whole-Tissue Distribution Analysis for Visualization of Nanoplastics in the Mouse Brain

Researchers used whole-tissue clearing combined with fluorescence microscopy to visualize the three-dimensional distribution of nanoplastics throughout intact mouse brains without sectioning. This approach revealed nanoplastic accumulation patterns across brain regions that section-based imaging would have missed, demonstrating a valuable method for mapping nanoplastic biodistribution in structurally complex organs.

2025
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence microscopy, second harmonic generation imaging, and coherent Raman scattering to detect and map micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in lipid-rich brain regions in animal models.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Imaging and quantifying the biological uptake and distribution of nanoplastics using a dual-functional model material

Researchers developed a dual-functional nanoplastic model material that allows both imaging and precise quantification of nanoplastic uptake in biological systems. Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, they could track where nanoplastics accumulated in organisms at high resolution. The tool addresses a major gap in nanoplastic research by enabling more accurate measurement of how these tiny particles interact with living tissues.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodistribution of nanoplastics in mice: advancing analytical techniques using metal-doped plastics

Researchers developed a new analytical method using palladium-doped nanoplastics to track where plastic particles go in the body after ingestion in mice. They found that after short-term exposure, most particles passed through the digestive system and were excreted, but longer-term exposure led to accumulation in body tissues. The study advances the ability to detect and trace nanoplastics at extremely small concentrations in biological samples.

2025 Communications Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the in vivo fate of inhaled micro- and nanoplastics with PET imaging

Using advanced PET imaging, researchers tracked what happens to inhaled and injected micro and nanoplastics inside living mice for the first time. They found that nanoplastics largely avoided being captured by immune cells in the lungs and could travel to other organs, while both sizes accumulated heavily in the liver and spleen after entering the bloodstream. This study provides direct evidence that inhaled plastic particles can redistribute throughout the body, which is important for understanding how airborne microplastics might affect human health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphological and chemical characterization of nanoplastics in human tissue

Researchers developed methods to visualize and chemically characterize nanoplastics that have accumulated in human tissue samples. They were able to identify plastic particles smaller than one micrometer within tissue using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The study provides some of the first direct evidence of nanoscale plastic accumulation in the human body, which is essential for designing future health effects research.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Noncovalent radiolabeling of microplastics using a desferrioxamine-conjugated Nile Red derivative for quantitative in vivo tracking

Researchers developed a new method for tracking microplastics in living organisms using a specialized dye that attaches to plastic surfaces without altering their properties, enabling both fluorescence imaging and radioactive labeling. The technique allowed quantitative tracking of microplastic movement through the gastrointestinal tract of mice using PET imaging, providing a tool for better understanding how microplastics behave in the body.

2026 Analytica Chimica Acta
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence, second harmonic generation, and coherent Raman scattering microscopy in a single instrument to image micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in lipid-rich brain regions in mouse models.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Harnessing PET to track micro- and nanoplastics in vivo

This study explores the use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to track micro- and nanoplastic particles in living organisms. Researchers developed methods to radiolabel plastic particles, enabling accurate determination of how these pollutants move through the body, which is critical for understanding the health effects of chronic microplastic exposure.

2021 Scientific Reports 58 citations
Article Tier 2

MRI Based Monitoring of Accumulation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics

Researchers developed a novel MRI-based method to monitor PET nanoplastic accumulation in germinating wheat seeds, functionalizing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with PET nanoplastics and using magnetic resonance microimaging to track their distribution in plant tissue.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges in assessing ecological and health risks of microplastics and nanoplastics: tracking their dynamics in living organisms

Researchers proposed a new method for tracking micro- and nanoplastics in living organisms using fluorescent monomers built directly into the plastic particles during synthesis. Current detection methods require destructive sampling and only provide static snapshots, missing the real-time movement of particles through biological systems. This fluorescent monomer approach is designed to enable continuous, stable imaging of plastic particles as they move through complex biological environments.

2026 New Contaminants
Article Tier 2

Numerical Study towards In Vivo Tracking of Micro-/Nanoplastic Based on X-ray Fluorescence Imaging

Researchers conducted numerical simulations to evaluate X-ray fluorescence imaging as a method for tracking micro- and nanoplastic particles inside living organisms. The study found that by labeling plastic particles with detectable metal elements, it would be possible to map their distribution across organs with high spatial resolution. The approach could provide precise measurements of how plastic particles cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues over time.

2024 Biomedicines 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of near-infrared-fluorophore-loaded microplastics with different compositions for in vivo tracking

Researchers synthesised fluorescent microplastic particles of different polymer types that can be tracked inside living animals using near-infrared imaging, creating a tool for studying how microplastics move through and accumulate within biological tissues. These model particles help researchers understand real-world microplastic behaviour inside organisms, which is critical for assessing health risks.

2026 Environmental Science Advances
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of micro- and nanoplastic perturbs tissue homeostasis and macrophage core functions

Researchers fed mice polystyrene particles chronically and found that micro- and nanoplastics breached intestinal barriers and accumulated in multiple organs, disrupting tissue homeostasis and impairing core macrophage functions including phagocytosis and inflammatory regulation.

2025 bonndoc (University of Bonn)
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of nanoplastics in human cells as visualized and quantified by hyperspectral imaging with enhanced dark-field microscopy

Researchers developed a label-free imaging technique to visualize and count nanoplastic particles that accumulate inside human cells, using enhanced dark-field microscopy combined with hyperspectral imaging. The method successfully tracked polystyrene nanoplastics entering cells over time and measured accumulation rates without needing fluorescent labels. This tool could improve the accuracy of future studies assessing how nanoplastics build up in human tissue and what concentration levels may pose health risks.

2023 Environment International 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescent poly(ethylene terephthalate) nano-microplastics for in vivo tracking

Researchers developed a new method to track nano-microplastics inside living animals in real time using near-infrared fluorescent imaging. By embedding a special dye into common PET plastic particles, they were able to follow the particles through mice after oral exposure, offering a promising tool for studying how plastics of different sizes behave inside the body.

2025 Journal of Nanoparticle Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of nano- and microplastics in mammalian tissue

Researchers detected nano- and microplastics in mammalian tissue samples using sensitive analytical techniques, confirming particle accumulation in organs beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The findings demonstrate that small plastic particles can translocate from the gut to systemic tissues.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microparticle distribution after ingestion by murine macrophages

Researchers tracked what happens to polystyrene microparticles after they are ingested by mouse immune cells called macrophages. They found that the particles were distributed unevenly during cell division in a cell-type-specific manner, and no active excretion of the microplastics was observed. The study suggests that once immune cells take up microplastic particles, the particles may persist inside cells and accumulate over successive generations of cell division.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphological and lipid metabolism alterations in macrophages exposed to model environmental nanoplastics traced by high-resolution synchrotron techniques

Researchers used advanced imaging techniques to study how nanoplastics affect immune cells called macrophages and found that the particles caused significant changes in cell shape and disrupted fat metabolism. The nanoplastics accumulated inside the cells and altered the composition and distribution of lipids, which are essential for normal immune function. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure may impair the immune system by interfering with how immune cells process and store fats.

2023 Frontiers in Immunology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of nano- and microplastics in mammalian tissue

This review examined methods for detecting nano- and microplastics in mammalian tissue, surveying analytical approaches as concerns grow about accumulation in biological systems. The paper discussed how continuous fragmentation and environmental accumulation are increasing the likelihood of tissue uptake across multiple organ systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

A Workflow for Assessing Particle Counts of Mixed Micro- and Nanoplastics in Exposed Laboratory Animals

Researchers developed a laboratory protocol for extracting and counting micro- and nanoplastic particles from mouse tissue samples. They achieved an 85% recovery rate for 2-micrometer particles and 30% for 0.1-micrometer particles, and demonstrated the method could detect differences in accumulation across different exposure levels. This workflow provides a foundation for future studies investigating how plastic particles accumulate in biological tissues.

2025 Nanomaterials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

SERS imaging and ICP-MS quantification of the biological uptake of nanoplastics using a dual-detectable model nanomaterial

Researchers synthesized a dual-detectable nanoplastic model with a gold nanoparticle core surrounded by a polymer shell, enabling simultaneous in situ visualization by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ex situ quantification by mass spectrometry, providing a more accurate tool for studying nanoplastic uptake in biological systems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials