Microplastics are found outside in nature and inside the body – but evidence of health risks is inconclusive

From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the heights of Mount Everest, tiny pieces of debris known as microplastics have permeated the globe. And they’re congregating in the human body.

Defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, microplastics have been detected recently in human lungs as well as blood samples. Nevertheless, despite the ubiquity of microplastics, scientists have yet to find enough evidence that consuming these particles is harmful to human health.

In an article by JAMA Network, MOMENTUM researcher Dick Vethaak and other researchers dive into the potential hazards and the hurdles they encounter while researching these microplastics.