Scientists are pushing back on the health damage microplastics may cause, saying people are obese
Fortune • • health
Key Points:
- Recent high-profile studies claiming micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) have infiltrated human organs like the brain and arteries are facing strong scientific criticism for methodological flaws, contamination, and false positives.
- Experts warn that techniques such as Py-GC-MS used to detect plastics in human tissue can be unreliable, with human fat molecules mimicking plastic signals, leading to questionable results.
- Scientists argue it is biologically implausible for significant amounts of plastic particles to cross biological barriers and accumulate in internal organs, suggesting other factors like obesity may better explain related health issues.
- The field studying microplastics in humans is considered immature, with rushed publications and overlooked scientific checks causing misinformation and the rise of costly, unproven
