'Everyone on Earth is exposed': Scientists map microplastics deep inside living tissue

A new study from Kingston University in London highlights how microplastics can be detected in living tissue. 

Using a noninvasive imaging approach, the researchers mapped these particles in mice in fine detail, offering scientists another tool for examining what follows after exposure.

The findings are a reminder that "everyone on Earth is exposed to microplastics," said Dr. Stephen Patrick, one of the researchers involved in the study.

What happened?

In the study, published in Advanced Science, researchers described a method for finding microplastics in living tissue without resorting to surgery or other invasive steps. 

The team focused on photoacoustic imaging, rather than older approaches that may require tissue samples. With that method, laser pulses are directed into tissue, and microplastics can be identified because they absorb light in a way the study describes as a "unique absorption fingerprint."

In mice, the method identified microplastics well below the surface, giving researchers a better way to examine how these tiny particles move through organisms over time.

Microplastics are now a widespread pollution concern, but tracking them inside the body has been far more difficult than identifying them in water, soil, or other environmental samples.

Why does it matter?

Scientists are still trying to answer basic questions about how microplastics behave once they enter the body.

If researchers can monitor those particles in living tissue more easily, they may be able to learn more quickly where they accumulate, how long they remain, and whether certain exposures are more concerning than others.

Since the study was conducted in mice, not humans, it does not by itself prove that microplastics in tissue cause a specific illness. It does show that researchers are developing better tools to study exposure, which could eventually help inform future guidance from health experts and institutions.

People can encounter microplastics through the air, food, water, and everyday products, so a better detection method could help scientists move beyond simply confirming exposure and toward understanding real-world health effects.

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