What Are Microplastics and Are They in Humans?
In January 2026, the Guardian reported that the ‘bombshell’ research paper claiming to have found microplastics in the human brain has been strongly refuted by academics, due to what they call insufficient ‘methodological’ precautions taken by the original research team to arrive at their conclusion. The article concluded, with interviews from experts, that the presence of microplastics in the human body is not fully proved, but according to some experts, very likely to be proved soon. They also said that the possible effects of microplastics being present in the human body has not been determined either.
What are Microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that measure less than 5 millimeters in length and occur as plastic breaks down over time, for instance, due to UV radiation. For more see image (left): These microplastics can be found in oceans, lakes, waterways, soil, air, and even in our food. Scientists believe that microplastics mainly enter the human body through digestion. Common routes include when we microwave our food in plastic or drinking from plastic bottles.
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How can we reduce our exposure to microplastics?
Scientists say that great ways to reduce your contact with microplastics can be to use alternatives to plastic, especially when drinking or heating food. Other things you can do include reducing your consumption of ultra-processed foods and ventilating your living space. Despite the lack of scientific consensus on whether microplastics are present in humans, an important question remains: if microplastics are present, could they be harmful to human health?
This is part one of a two part series on microplastics in the human body. Read more in part two: ‘Microplastics in the Body: Should We Be Worried?’
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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk
Images:
Little girl, Drinking water - Image by Nguyen Ngoc Tien from Pixabay (ST ref: 1359)
Fig. 1. Main sources of unintentionally released microplastics. Fattore et al., Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the brain and behavior: Evidence from rodent and human studies,
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