Microplastics and nanoplastics: uses in research

Microplastics in human brains

Nihart and colleagues reported micro- and nanoplastics, mostly polyethylene, in kidney, liver and brain tissue from people who had died, with higher levels in 2024 samples than in 2016 samples and even more in brains from people diagnosed with dementia. They stressed that routes of exposure and health effects still need study.

Debated: other scientists raised concerns about how plastics are measured in brain tissue (Matters Arising, doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04045-3), and the authors issued a correction to some figures (doi:10.1038/s41591-025-03675-x).

As reported in: Nihart, Garcia, El Hayek et al. (2025). Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains. Nature Medicine. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1

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Microscopic plastic in the oceans

Thompson and colleagues showed that, besides large plastic debris, microscopic plastic fragments and fibres are widespread in the marine environment, a landmark paper in microplastics research.

As reported in: Thompson, Olsen, Mitchell et al. (2004). Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic?. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1094559

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