Microplastics stories

Apr 14, 2026

What Are Microplastics and How Do They Enter the Body?

Following the EPA/HHS announcement, PolitiFact published an expert-backed guide on how microplastics enter the body through food, water, and air, which organs they accumulate in, and what the science says about health risks — drawing on interviews with leading researchers and synthesizing the current state of evidence.

Apr 14, 20262 sources

Apr 13, 2026

Researchers Find Link Between Human Bile and Harmful Microplastics

Study identifies interaction between human bile and harmful microplastics, suggesting a possible pathway for accumulation and impact within the digestive system.

Apr 13, 20264 sources

Mar 31, 2026

Kimchi Linked to Reduced Microplastics in New Study

New research suggests a widely consumed food may help remove harmful microplastics from the body by binding to particles or aiding their excretion, pointing to a potential dietary approach to reducing long-term exposure and related health risks.

Mar 31, 20263 sources

Top claims

▪A 2025 Nature Medicine study found more microplastics in the brains of people with dementia diagnoses
▪A 2024 New England Journal of Medicine study found that people who had microplastics in their carotid artery plaque had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death following a surgical procedure to remove plaque than those whose plaque lacked microplastics
▪Optical microscopes will not work for particles smaller than 1 micrometer

Subtopics

Environmental and Occupational Health3 Gut health & microbiome2 Air pollution1 Dietary interventions1 Digestive system1 Drug Approval and Clinical Trials1 Environmental Protection Agency1 Environmental regulation1 Environmental toxins1 Nutrition fundamentals1 Public health1

Related timelines