Studies reporting the presence of microplastics in the human body have been criticised by scientists who say the discoveries are likely the result of contamination and false positives. Microplastic and nanoplastic particles are tiny and at the limit of today’s analytical techniques,

Doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body | Damien Carrington in the Guardian, 13 January 2026
Challenges in studying microplastics in human brain | Monikh et al,  Nature Medicine 13 November 2035

Debora MacKenzie argues that researchers must resolve this debate, and quickly; dispute over methods only provides ammunition to deniers. There are obvious parallels here with the climate debate (and other debates such as harm caused by DDT and smoking).

Are our bodies full of microplastics or not? | Debora MacKenzie in the Guardian, 16 January 2026
Questioning results is good for science, but has political consequences | Guardian Editorial, 18 January 2026

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Originally posted in Second Nature 049 (January 2026). Category plastics, tags microplastics.
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