Microplastics News and Research

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Parental plastic exposure harms offspring through multiple biological routes

Microplastics and nanoplastics are increasingly found throughout aquatic environments, raising concern about whether these tiny particles can move from exposed parents into their offspring.

23 Sep 2026

Why scientists still cannot say how much plastic infants are actually consuming

A systematic review of 22 primary studies and four reviews found plastic-derived contaminants across infant foods and feeding equipment, but major differences in sampling, analytical methods, and quality control made exposure estimates difficult to compare. The authors found substantial evidence gaps for nanoplastics and oligomers and concluded that better-standardized exposure assessment is needed before infant health risks can be reliably evaluated.

22 Sep 2026

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. launches mIRage®-HSi, delivering more than 30x faster submicron IR imaging

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp., a leader in submicron infrared spectroscopy and chemical imaging, today announced the launch of the mIRage®-HSi, a high-speed laser-scanning Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) microscope delivering more than 30 times faster IR imaging while maintaining sub-500 nm spatial resolution.

From Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp 22 Sep 2026

Microplastics transport toxins and antibiotic resistance across ecosystems

Microplastics are often viewed as pollutants in their own right, but their environmental impact may extend far beyond the plastic particles themselves.

4 Sep 2026

Researchers find greater microplastic burden in lung cancer patients

People with lung cancer are more likely to have microplastics in their lungs and to have larger quantities of microplastics in their lungs, according to research that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

4 Sep 2026

Researchers call for stronger safety testing of lip cosmetics

New peer-reviewed publications find significant gaps in lip product regulation and safety testing, including reliance on inappropriate skin models and significant underestimation of usage and ingestion rates, leaving consumers exposed to potential risks.

4 Aug 2026

Blood filtration method helps clear circulating lipids and toxic microplastics

The machine is not new. Some version of it has run in hospital treatment rooms for about four decades, drawing blood from one arm, separating out the plasma, passing it across a filter or an adsorber, and returning it to the other arm.

4 Aug 2026

Texas A&M study links polyethylene microplastics to fatty liver disease

Microplastics have become nearly impossible to avoid. They have been detected in oceans, drinking water and even the human body, but scientists are still uncovering how they affect human health.

3 Aug 2026

Cigarette smoke extract primes airway cells for greater nanoplastic damage

Researchers found that cigarette smoke extract weakened epithelial barriers and increased the proportion of human airway cells that were polystyrene nanoparticle-positive. Sequential treatment caused greater metabolic disruption and increased mucus-producing cells, suggesting heightened epithelial vulnerability, although the findings are limited to in vitro models.

30 Jul 2026

Tire microplastics could fuel antibiotic resistance in urban environments

Tiny particles released as vehicle tires wear down may do more than pollute urban air, water, and soil. A new perspective article suggests that tire microplastics could create environmental hotspots that help antibiotic resistance genes persist, move between bacteria, and spread through cities.

29 Jul 2026

Micro and nanoplastics in the blood linked to increased heart attack risk factors

People who have suffered a serious heart attack had higher levels of micro and nanoplastics in their blood, compared to patients diagnosed with chronic ischemic heart disease and those who have normal blood vessels supplying the heart, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday).

14 Jul 2026

Microplastics worsen liver damage under high-fat dietary conditions

Microplastics – minuscule pieces of plastic broken down from larger plastic waste – are a growing concern for human health, especially for the liver.

17 Jun 2026

Father's alcohol use before conception impacts offspring development

A growing body of research suggests that a father's health before conception may play a larger role in child development than previously understood - and researchers are working to understand how a father's drinking before conception may affect offspring health and development.

8 Jun 2026

PET microplastics remain in lungs and worsen respiratory tract inflammation

Microplastics (MP) are the subject of intensive medical research, but little is yet known about their effects on the immune system.

29 May 2026

Smaller nanoplastics trigger stronger changes in brain neuron activity

Smaller plastic particles have more effects on neurons, the key information processing cells of the brain, new research from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

27 May 2026

Higher marine microplastics may signal greater stroke and chronic disease burden in coastal communities

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19 May 2026

Urges for cardiologists to screen patients for UPF intake

The European Society of Cardiology identifies ultra-processed foods as a key cardiovascular risk, urging a shift in dietary guidelines for better heart health.

11 May 2026

Study links microplastics in arterial plaque to fourfold increase in stroke risk

In a Perspective published today in the inaugural issue of Brain Health (https://doi.org/10.61373/bh026p.0006), an international team of investigators argues that the human microplastic burden has crossed the threshold from environmental concern to brain health emergency. The article appears alongside the launch of Brain Health, a new peer-reviewed journal from Genomic Press dedicated to the science of lifelong brain resilience.

5 May 2026

New scientific statement defines brain health across life

Brain health isn't determined only by genetics or what happens later in life. A growing body of research shows that a range of factors-from mental health and sleep to environment, lifestyle and social conditions-play a powerful role in shaping how the brain functions and ages.

28 Apr 2026

Microplastics in the liver may drive global liver disease rates

There is considerable evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics are present in the livers of humans, and wild animal populations on land and in the ocean.

23 Apr 2026