Microplastics Found in Human Beings

RRI.CO.ID.Jakarta - Microplastics are everywhere in us. Scientists are debating how much microplastic is really inside the human body.

The challenge is that these particles are invisible to the naked eye but incredibly common. Over the past decade, researchers have found microplastics in the brain, blood, heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, lungs, testicles, and even in the placenta.

In the last three years, Dr. Kara Meister from Stanford also found microplastic particles in every child’s tonsil she removed. The big question now is: are they harmless, or are they harming us?

We know they’re there, but not what they do

“We know for sure that plastic is present in human tissue,” says Susanne Brander from the Pew Charitable Trusts. “What it’s doing to us — that’s the million-dollar question.” How microplastics affect health is still unclear. Experts compare this moment to the 1950s with tobacco and asbestos. Even without all the answers, Dr. Philip Landrigan from Boston College says it’s an urgent public health issue that must be taken seriously.

Measuring them is extremely difficult.

Studying microplastics in the body is complicated. Microplastics are smaller than 5mm, and nanoplastics are smaller than 1 micrometer. Most can’t be seen without special tools. Results can also be contaminated because microplastics are in our food, water, air, dust, and even in lab equipment and clothes. Because this field is so new, scientists are still figuring out the best ways to measure them accurately.

Debates are part of the science

Some recent studies have been criticized for flaws in methods or different interpretations of results. For example, a 2023 Nature Medicine study by Dr. Matthew Campen found microplastics in human brain tissue and faced pushback. Campen says some critics don’t have experience with biological samples, but he agrees the debate helps science improve. As Dr. Megan Wolff from P-SNAP explains, “All science is questioned. That’s how it self-corrects.”

How scientists detect microplastics

The main methods use advanced microscopes and chemical analysis. One common way is infrared spectroscopy, which identifies plastic by how it absorbs light. Another is pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, or Py-GC-MS, which burns a sample and analyzes the gases to identify plastic types. But even Py-GC-MS has limits. A 2025 study found it isn’t reliable yet for detecting certain plastics in blood. That’s why many researchers now call for “orthogonal methods” — using two or more techniques together.

New studies and better labs

A 2024 study in the New England Journal of Medicine used Py-GC-MS, isotope analysis, and electron microscopy on artery plaque. It found people with plastic particles had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over 34 months. Not everyone agrees on what the study proved. To improve accuracy, labs like Dr. Thomas’s in Australia use stainless steel tools, glass containers, and HEPA filters to avoid contamination. Experts say future labs should use multiple methods and test samples with known amounts of plastic for reference.

The next big question: health effects

Science is still a work in progress. Researchers agree we need standardized methods and better tools that can identify the type of plastic, the amount, and where it sits in cells. But the most important question remains unanswered: how do microplastics and nanoplastics affect human health? “We already know the chemicals inside plastics can be carcinogens, neurotoxins, and hormone disruptors,” Wolff said. The public health question is: when do we have enough proof to start preventing exposure?