Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

Validation of an extraction method for microplastics from human materials

Researchers validated an extraction method for isolating microplastics from human and animal tissues, confirming that the procedure does not cause significant alteration to the plastic particles themselves.

2019 Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a reliable preprocessing protocol for fluorescent micro- and nanoplastic analysis in human placental tissue

Researchers developed and optimized a laboratory protocol for preparing human placental tissue samples so that micro- and nanoplastics can be accurately detected using microscopy. They tested various enzyme and buffer combinations and found that some methods caused fluorescent dye to leach from test particles, potentially creating false positive readings. The study provides a reliable preprocessing method that will help improve the accuracy of future research measuring plastic particles in human tissues.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL PROTOCOL FOR THE EXTRACTION OF SMALL MICROPLASTICS (1-5 µm) FROM BIOLOGICAL TISSUES

Researchers developed a novel extraction protocol to isolate and quantify small microplastics (1–5 µm) from biological tissues, addressing a major gap in marine contamination studies. The method improves detection of these hard-to-analyze particles, which are more likely to penetrate cells and accumulate in organisms.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Article Tier 2

Quantitation and identification of microplastics accumulation in human placental specimens using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Researchers analyzed 62 human placenta samples and found microplastics in every single one, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 685 micrograms per gram of tissue. Polyethylene, the most common plastic in everyday products, made up 54% of the plastics found. This widespread presence of microplastics in placentas raises concerns about fetal exposure during pregnancy and potential effects on development.

2024 Toxicological Sciences 194 citations
Article Tier 2

Cross-platform detection of microplastics in human biological tissues: Comparing spectroscopic and chromatographic approaches

Scientists compared two different analytical methods for detecting microplastics in human urine and uterine tissue samples from pregnant women and found that using both methods together reveals a more complete picture than either alone. The study detected multiple types of plastic particles in biological samples, confirming that microplastics accumulate in human reproductive tissues.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a toolbox for the analysis of microplastic-tissue interactions in two benthic freshwater organisms

Researchers developed a histological toolbox to analyze microplastic-tissue interactions in two benthic freshwater invertebrates, addressing the methodological gap in available protocols for detecting whether ingested microplastics simply pass through the gut or accumulate at specific tissue zones and translocate into organism tissues.

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

Methods for the detection of microplastics in mammals

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.

2023 Theoretical and Natural Science
Article Tier 2

Identification of micro-/nanoplastics in human placental blood using comprehensive multidimensional pyrolysis - gas chromatography x ion mobility mass spectrometry

Researchers developed a new analytical method using pyrolysis and advanced mass spectrometry to detect micro- and nanoplastics in human placental blood while reducing false positive results. They identified polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene particles in placental blood samples. The study provides improved tools for accurately measuring plastic contamination in human tissues, which is essential for understanding potential health effects.

2025 Analytica Chimica Acta 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Detection Method for Nanoplastics in Shellfish

Researchers investigated detection methods for nanoplastics in shellfish, evaluating analytical techniques capable of identifying and quantifying nanoscale plastic particles in bivalve tissues. The study addresses the methodological challenges of isolating and characterizing nanoplastics from complex biological matrices.

2024 Taipei Medical University Repository
Article Tier 2

Development of a method for the detection of polystyrene microplastics in paraffin-embedded histological sections

Researchers developed a method for detecting polystyrene microplastics in paraffin-embedded tissue samples, addressing a key constraint in assessing microplastic exposure in marine animals used in laboratory toxicity bioassays.

2017 Histochemistry and Cell Biology 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Omnipresent and an ongoing challenge for medical science

This commentary reviews evidence that micro- and nanoplastics are found in human body fluids and tissues and calls for greater engagement from medical science to assess potential health risks and develop diagnostic approaches.

2024 Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in human tissues: Systematic review of evidence, analytical protocols, and methodological challenges

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.

2026 Talanta Open
Article Tier 2

Development of a toolbox for the analysis of microplastic-tissue interactions in two benthic freshwater organisms

Researchers developed adapted histological protocols for analyzing how microplastic particles interact with tissues in two freshwater invertebrate species. Standard histological methods often use solvents that dissolve plastics, making them incompatible with microplastic studies, so the team modified existing techniques to preserve plastic particles within tissue samples. The resulting toolbox enables researchers to determine whether ingested microplastics simply pass through the gut or actually translocate into organism tissues.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Solving a Sticky Situation: Microplastic Analysis of Lipid-Rich Tissue

Researchers developed and validated an optimized protocol for extracting and analyzing microplastics from lipid-rich biological tissues, addressing the challenge that standard enzymatic digestion methods leave fatty residues that interfere with microplastic detection and quantification.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in maternal blood, fetal appendages, and umbilical vein blood

Researchers detected 16 different types of microplastics in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and fetal tissues (placenta, amniotic fluid, fetal membrane, and umbilical cord) from 12 pregnant women who delivered by cesarean section. The most common plastics found were polyamide and polyurethane, and microplastic levels in amniotic fluid increased with maternal age and pre-pregnancy body weight, confirming that these particles can pass from mother to fetus.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastic in Human Placenta and Meconium in a Clinical Setting

Researchers detected microplastic particles larger than 50 micrometers in human placenta and meconium (a baby's first stool) collected during cesarean deliveries. This is significant because it provides direct evidence that microplastics are present in the womb and are being passed to babies before and during birth. The study emphasizes the need for careful contamination controls in clinical studies and calls for further research on nano-sized plastics in human tissue.

2021 Pharmaceutics 438 citations
Article Tier 2

A new screening framework to support the identification of exogenous particles and suspect microplastics in situ in pathological tissue samples

Researchers developed a screening framework to detect exogenous particles including microplastics within human ileal tissue sections, using human tissue samples as proof of concept to investigate whether and how particles can translocate into the subepithelial mucosa.

2025 EBioMedicine
Systematic Review Tier 1

Unveiling the presence of micro and nanoplastics in human biological matrices: A systematic review covering the latest five years from 2020 to 2025

This systematic review covering 2020-2025 confirmed the presence of micro- and nanoplastics in human blood, placenta, lungs, liver, kidneys, and other biological matrices. The findings demonstrate that plastic particles are accumulating in human tissues through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, raising urgent questions about long-term health consequences.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Particulate Contamination of Human Placenta: Plastic and non-plastic

Researchers characterized both plastic and non-plastic particulate contaminants found in human placental tissue from healthy pregnancies. They detected microplastics alongside other particles in placenta samples collected from both vaginal and caesarean deliveries at an urban Canadian hospital. The findings add to growing evidence that the human womb is exposed to a variety of environmental particulate contaminants during pregnancy.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Human Tissues: Sources, Distribution, Toxicological Effects, and Health Implications

Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence that microplastics accumulate in human tissues — including lung, blood, placenta, breast milk, and heart tissue — where they can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death. The review highlights urgent knowledge gaps around how plastic particles move through the body and what their long-term health effects may be.

2025 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
Article Tier 2

Quantification and visualization of micro- and nano-plastics transfer from maternal to fetal: A rat model study

Using europium-labeled nanoplastics and microplastics administered to pregnant rats, researchers quantitatively tracked maternal-to-fetal transfer using electron microscopy and mass spectrometry, providing first direct quantitative evidence of how these particles cross the placental barrier.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials