Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

MassBalance Tracing of In Vivo Biodistribution,Relocation, and Excretion of Europium-Doped Micro/Nanoplastics inRats

This rat study used europium-labeled micro- and nanoplastics to track particle distribution in the body after intravenous administration, finding that most accumulated in the liver and spleen with very little reaching the brain or heart. The results suggest that standard biological filtration processes govern microplastic distribution following classical size-dependent rules.

Figshare
Article Tier 2

The whole life journey and destination of microplastics: A review

This review traces the full journey of microplastics from their environmental sources through their various pathways into the human body, and what happens once they get inside. Once ingested, microplastics can disrupt gut bacteria, damage the intestinal barrier, and then spread to other organs where they cause inflammation and toxicity. The review highlights significant gaps in our understanding and emphasizes the need for more research on how microplastics move through the body and accumulate over time.

2024 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Review Tier 2

Nano- and microplastics: a comprehensive review on their exposure routes, translocation, and fate in humans

This comprehensive review traces the journey of nano- and microplastics through the human body, covering how they enter through breathing, eating, drinking, and skin contact. Once inside, the smallest particles can cross the gut and lung barriers, enter the bloodstream, and accumulate in organs including the liver, kidneys, and placenta. The review highlights significant knowledge gaps about long-term health effects but notes that the evidence for internal accumulation in humans is growing.

2022 NanoImpact 202 citations
Article Tier 2

From natural environment to animal tissues: A review of microplastics(nanoplastics) translocation and hazards studies

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics travel from the environment into animal bodies through water, food, air, and even skin contact, then move through the bloodstream to accumulate in organs. Once inside, these particles cause oxidative stress, inflammation, gut damage, reproductive harm, and nervous system effects across many animal species. The findings strongly suggest that similar pathways of exposure and harm could apply to humans.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Penetration of micro/nanoplastics into biological barriers in organisms and associated health effects

This Chinese-language review systematically examined how micro- and nanoplastics penetrate gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin barriers in humans and model organisms, and how they translocate via blood circulation to accumulate in organs including the liver, brain, testes, and placenta.

2023 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The Uptake and Distribution Evidence of Nano- and Microplastics in vivo after a Single High Dose of Oral Exposure.

This in vivo study provided evidence on the uptake and organ distribution of nano- and microplastics following a single high-dose administration, finding that nanoplastics translocated rapidly to multiple organs through blood circulation while only small amounts of larger microplastics penetrated organs.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic in the human digestive and urinary system

This review summarized scientific evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics ingested through food reach the digestive and urinary systems, examining what is known about their behavior in the stomach, intestines, liver, and kidneys and the associated health risks.

2025 Acta Balneologica
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Systematic Review of the Toxicokinetics of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Mammals Following Digestive Exposure

This systematic review summarizes existing research on what happens to micro and nanoplastics after mammals ingest them through food and water. The evidence shows these particles can survive digestion and potentially cross into tissues and organs, raising important questions about long-term health effects from the microplastics we unknowingly consume every day.

2025 Applied Sciences 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The Plastic Within: Microplastics Invading Human Organs and Bodily Fluids Systems

This review documents the presence of microplastics in human organs and body fluids including the liver, blood, heart, placenta, breast milk, lungs, and reproductive tissues. The particles enter through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, and may also be introduced through invasive medical procedures. The widespread distribution of microplastics throughout the body raises concerns about their potential effects on organ function and long-term health.

2023 Environments 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and translocation of micro- and nanoplastics in fish

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics distribute and move through fish bodies, from the gut to organs like the liver, brain, and muscle tissue. Researchers found that nanoplastics are especially concerning because they can cross biological barriers, enter the bloodstream, and even pass to the next generation. The findings highlight the potential for plastic particles consumed by fish to move up the food chain to humans.

2021 Critical Reviews in Toxicology 106 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

Mass Balance Tracing of In Vivo Biodistribution, Relocation, and Excretion of Europium-Doped Micro/Nanoplastics in Rats

Scientists injected tiny plastic particles into rats and tracked where they went in the body for three months. Most plastic particles collected in the liver and spleen, with smaller particles being harder for the body to get rid of—only 80% of the smallest particles were eliminated compared to just 15% of larger ones. This suggests that microplastics from food, water, and air could build up in our organs over time, though the long-term health effects are still unknown.

2026 Environmental Science & Technology
Systematic Review Tier 1

Distribution and health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in human organs: Accumulation, translocation, and toxicity – A systematic review of current evidence

This systematic review summarizes evidence on where micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in the human body. Researchers found these particles in stool, blood, lungs, placenta, and arterial plaques, with polyethylene and polystyrene being the most common types. The findings suggest microplastics can travel through the body and may contribute to inflammation and cardiovascular risk.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Plastics
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and human health: Integrating pharmacokinetics

This review takes a pharmacology-based approach to understanding how microplastics move through the human body, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Evidence suggests that smaller particles (under 10 micrometers) can cross the gut barrier and accumulate in organs like the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Understanding these pathways is essential for determining what levels of microplastic exposure might actually cause harm to human health.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicokinetic Effects of Micro/Nano Plastics on Human Health

This review covers the toxicokinetics of micro- and nanoplastics in humans, examining how particles enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, distribute across organs via the circulatory system, and trigger cellular and biochemical responses at the tissue level.

2025
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in the human body: A comprehensive review of exposure, distribution, migration mechanisms, and toxicity

This comprehensive review pulls together research on how microplastics enter the human body through food, air, and skin contact, and where they accumulate in organs and tissues. The review discusses how particle size determines whether microplastics can cross biological barriers like the gut lining and blood-brain barrier. The authors conclude that microplastics pose significant health risks and call for more research into their long-term effects.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 176 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Systemic Accumulation and Distribution of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Human Tissues and Their Impact on Health: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesizes human evidence on the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in body tissues and fluids, including blood, lungs, placenta, breast milk, and liver. The research confirms that plastic particles can cross biological barriers and accumulate in multiple organ systems. While the long-term health effects are still being studied, the widespread presence of plastics inside the human body raises significant health concerns.

2026 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Understanding the Source, Behaviour, and Fate of Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments

This review synthesizes current understanding of the sources, behavior, and fate of nanoplastics in aquatic environments, identifying a significant knowledge gap regarding the processes nanoplastics undergo after entering the hydrosphere, including their potential to traverse the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in vital organs. The authors highlight the ubiquity of plastic nanoparticles entering water systems and the urgency of understanding their environmental transformation and ultimate fate.

2022
Article Tier 2

The Ins and Outs of Microplastics

This entry covers a review paper on the entry and exit pathways of microplastics through the human body. Understanding how microplastics are absorbed, distributed, and excreted is fundamental to assessing their potential health effects.

2019 Annals of Internal Medicine 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposição a Nano E Microplásticos E Seus Impactos Na Saúde Humana: Uma Revisão Da Literatura

This Brazilian literature review (in Portuguese) synthesizes evidence that nano- and microplastic particles can enter the human body through air, water, and food, and migrate to organs including the lungs, liver, brain, and intestines. Health effects on the respiratory, immune, gastrointestinal, and hepatic systems have been documented in both humans and other mammals, with the severity depending on particle type, size, and dose. The review reinforces growing concern that microplastic exposure is a systemic human health issue rather than a localized or minor hazard.

2023 Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação 2 citations
Review Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics: origin, sources of intake and impact on human health (literature review)

This literature review synthesizes mechanisms by which micro- and nanoplastics interact with living organisms, examining their physicochemical properties, routes of human exposure, and documented health effects across multiple organ systems.

2025 Hygiene and Sanitation
Article Tier 2

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity of microplastics in the human body and health implications

This review traces how microplastics move through the human body after being swallowed or inhaled, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. An adult may consume tens of thousands of microplastic particles each year through table salt and drinking water alone, and once inside, smaller particles can spread to different organs. The findings highlight that both the plastics themselves and the chemicals attached to them could pose health risks, though more research is needed to understand the full impact.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 367 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of microplastics in the body and interaction with biological barriers, and controlling of microplastics pollution

This review summarizes how microplastics enter the human body through food, water, and air, and what happens when they encounter the body's protective barriers like the gut lining, skin, and blood-brain barrier. Smaller microplastics can cross these barriers and accumulate in organs, potentially causing inflammation and other harmful effects. The review also covers emerging methods for removing microplastics from the environment to reduce human exposure.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 78 citations
Article Tier 2

The Health Effects of Presence of Microplastics in Water Resources and Food Products: A Narrative Review

Researchers reviewed how microplastics from packaged foods, bottled water, and plastic containers enter the human body, accumulating in organs including the liver, muscle, and brain after passing through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The review links microplastic exposure to digestive damage, nervous system disruption, and potentially cancer, recommending reduced use of single-use plastics as a practical protective step.

2025 Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences