\n<\/p>\n
Good morning. Microplastics are everywhere. They have been found at the top of Mount Everest and in the deepest ocean trenches. They are in our food, our water and the air we breathe.<\/p>\n
For a while, research suggested they were inside us too. Studies reported microplastics in our cells, brains, placentas and testicles.<\/p>\n
But that picture may be wrong. In what some scientists are describing as a \u201cbombshell\u201d, leading researchers have cast doubt on many of the most high-profile studies claiming large amounts of microplastics in the human body. They say the findings may instead be false positives.<\/p>\n
So what do we actually know about microplastics in the human body, and how worried should we be? To find out, I spoke to Damian Carrington, the Guardian\u2019s environment editor, who broke this extraordinary story. That\u2019s after the headlines.<\/p>\n
Iran<\/strong><\/em> | Donald Trump has said he has been assured the killing of protesters in Iran has been halted, adding that he would \u201cwatch it and see\u201d about threatened US military action, as tensions appeared to ease on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Greenland<\/strong><\/em> | Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the US needs Greenland and that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect the island, even as he said that \u201csomething will work out\u201d with respect to the future governance of the Danish overseas territory.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK news<\/strong><\/em> | Three Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have announced the end of their hunger strike after the government decided not to award a \u00a32bn contract to the Israeli arms company subsidiary Elbit Systems UK \u2013 with another four who had paused their protest choosing not to continue.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Digital ID<\/strong><\/em> | The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has insisted that she is \u201cpretty relaxed\u201d about what form of digital ID people use to prove their right to work in the UK, amid criticism of the government\u2019s latest U-turn.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ukraine<\/strong><\/em> | Anti-corruption investigators have accused the former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko of plotting to bribe MPs, including some from Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u2019s party, in a bid to undermine him.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>While the health effects of microplastics are up for debate, their environmental impact is well documented. <\/span> Photograph: MediaNews Group\/Orange County Register\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Recent research has reported worrying levels of microplastics in every part of our bodies. But what exactly are microplastics?<\/p>\n Some are intentionally created and added to consumer products, such as the tiny beads found in face and body scrubs. Others form when larger plastic items such as disposable bottles and packaging break down.<\/p>\n As microplastics spread across the world, fears about their health effects grew. Damian Carrington told me that many new researchers entered the field as interest surged. \u201cSome scientists likened it to a gold rush because it\u2019s an exciting and relevant new field that\u2019s opened up in the last few years.\u201d<\/p>\n Damian, like many science and environment journalists, reported on what appeared to be groundbreaking discoveries, often published in prestigious journals. Then came a steady drip of criticism from researchers who were unconvinced.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the start, I had one or two [contact me],\u201d Damien says. \u201cThey\u2019d get in touch and tell me they didn\u2019t think this was any good. I\u2019m not an expert or a scientist, so I can\u2019t adjudicate anything.\u201d<\/p>\n But then, he began to see more and more criticism appearing in journals. \u201cThey really started to add up. It wasn\u2019t just one or two voices any more; it was a consistent pattern of researchers questioning the validity of these high-profile findings.\u201d<\/p>\n Why <\/strong>are microplastic levels so hard to measure?<\/strong><\/p>\n At the heart of the problem is scale. Microplastics are tiny, so it is extremely difficult to measure their levels in the human body. Levels of nanoplastics, which are thousands of times smaller, are even harder to analyse.<\/p>\n Damian told me that the challenges are compounded by the fact that microplastics research is still a young field.<\/p>\n \u201cAnalytical chemists have been analysing stuff for a long time in lots of areas like pollutants in water, and therefore have well-established guidelines, which have been tested and verified,\u201d Damien says. \u201cBut microplastics is a brand new field in the last few years. They don\u2019t have those kinds of standard practices to lean back upon. They\u2019re having to develop them as they go along.\u201d<\/p>\n He explains that there is one technique, called pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry, that has received a lot of attention. In simple terms, the method \u201cvaporises a sample\u201d, and the resulting molecules are then sorted and measured.<\/p>\n The problem with this technique is that it can pick up natural substances and mistake them for plastic. The reason for this, Damian explains, is that \u201cthe fragments produced by certain plastics are actually the same molecule fragments produced by fat, for example, in the body,\u201d leading to potential contamination or confusion over the results.<\/p>\n Take the recent paper that found rising levels of microplastics in the brain. A separate team of researchers later challenged the findings by pointing out that fat is known to produce false positive results for polyethylene, a type of plastic, which could suggest that obesity levels could be an alternative explanation for the findings reported in the study.<\/p>\n Damien\u2019s reporting found seven challenged studies, while a recent analysis cited 18 that may have confused human tissue signals with those of common plastics.<\/p>\n Is the science improving?<\/strong><\/p>\n When Damien went to the original researchers with the criticism, he found that most were open about the need to continue collaborating to find better methodological methods. One researcher that Damien approached for comment quoted a line from the TV show Ted Lasso: \u201c\u2018[Bioanalytical assays] are never going to be perfect. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can and if you keep on doing that, you\u2019ll always be moving toward better.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Damian says that neatly captures how science works. \u201cIt\u2019s an iterative process.\u201d One encouraging takeaway, he says, is that many scientists are working intensely to improve analytical tools. \u201cWe expect things to improve pretty rapidly.\u201d<\/p>\n But does he worry that the plastics lobby will seize on the story to downplay the harm caused by plastics?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s certainly an issue, but I\u2019m no friend of the plastic lobby,\u201d Damien said. Last August, he wrote an excoriating piece on the plastics and petrochemical industries for undermining efforts to secure a UN plastics treaty. \u201cBut as a reporter, you have to follow the evidence as best you can and that\u2019s what I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n How worried should we be?<\/strong><\/p>\n There was a huge reaction to Damien\u2019s story, particularly on social media, with some commentators suggesting it proves there isn\u2019t anything to worry about when it comes to microplastics. Damien says it is evident that those people haven\u2019t read his article all the way through.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is really clear is that microplastics are everywhere in the environment. We are consuming them and there are almost certainly microplastics in our body,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd that is unlikely to be a good thing. We don\u2019t know how much or where very clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n He asked every researcher he interviewed, including critics of the contested studies, whether they take precautions. All said yes. \u201cSome of them dust their house every now and again because microplastics can form from clothing and off carpets. Some of them don\u2019t reheat food or drinks in plastic containers because that can also produce microplastics.\u201d<\/p>\n The message is not that microplastics are harmless, he says. It is that the extreme levels reported in some studies are probably wrong.<\/p>\n Several scientists also warned about unregulated and unverified treatments, including clinics offering to cleanse blood of microplastics for \u00a310,000. \u201cThere is no evidence that justifies that kind of approach.\u201d<\/p>\n While research into the health effects continues, the wider case against plastic remains strong.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plastics industry from beginning to end is environmentally problematic because they come from fossil fuels, there are emissions involved in making the plastics, lots of plastics have chemicals in them, some of which are known to be harmful to human health,\u201d Damien says.<\/p>\n Efforts to tackle plastic pollution at a global level stalled last August amid heavy lobbying by plastics, petrochemical companies and petrostates.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll come back and have another go, but it\u2019s looking to be a bit of an uphill battle,\u201d says Damian.<\/p>\n <\/span>Peter Kay as Brian Potter in Phoenix Nights.<\/span> Photograph: CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY<\/p>\n Daniel Dylan Wray suggests it may be time to swing by your local charity shop to see if you can find a DVD of the seemingly forgotten gem that is Peter Kay<\/strong>\u2019s <\/strong>Phoenix Nights<\/strong>, which launched 25 years ago and has never hit streaming. Martin Belam, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n While much of the attention has focused on how serious Donald Trump is about his threat to take Greenland by force, Miranda Bryant\u2019s on-the-ground piece does a brilliant job examining the anguish he has ignited among the territory\u2019s people. Aamna<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Miss Rosen speaks to Catherine E McKinley for Huck magazine about her curation of a new exhibition of the work of photographer Seydou Ke\u00efta, who chronicled the people of Mali from his Bamako studio during the mid-20th century. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Iran has been shrouded in darkness after a widespread internet blackout. Adeshola Ore\u2019s piece movingly explores the horror of being in the diaspora, desperately trying to get information about your loved ones. Aamna<\/p>\n<\/li>\n My newsletter team colleague Poppy Noor claims to have \u201cthree left feet and a not-very-convincing shot on goal\u201d in her locker as she embarks on a quest to improve her amateur football skills<\/strong> 15 years into playing. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal scores his team\u2019s second goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on 14 January 2026 in London, England. <\/span> Photograph: David Price\/Arsenal FC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Football <\/strong><\/em>| Robert S\u00e1nchez had a game to forget as Ben White, Viktor Gy\u00f6keres and Mart\u00edn Zubimendi <\/strong>gave Arsenal a 3-2 lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.<\/p>\n Football <\/strong><\/em>| Morocco advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties, beating Nigeria 4-2 in the final shootout after their semi-final ended goalless after extra time.<\/p>\n Tennis<\/strong><\/em> | A 29-year-old tennis coach from Sydney won the inaugural A$1m One Point Slam at the Australian Open after upstaging a field that included Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.<\/p>\n <\/span>Guardian front page 15 January<\/span> Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cTrump still intent on \u2018conquering\u2019 Greenland, says Danes after talks,\u201d is the splash on the Guardian<\/strong> on Thursday. \u201cWorld on the brink,\u201d says the Mirror<\/strong>. \u201cUK military prepare for American strike on Iran,\u201d has the i<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cFan row police chief won\u2019t quit,\u201d is the lead story at Times<\/strong>, \u201c4 million denied the right to vote,\u201d at the Telegraph<\/strong>. \u201cReeves\u2019 signal on extending pubs U-turn cheers hotels,\u201d says the FT<\/strong>, while the Metro <\/strong>runs with: \u201cOne small step…to reception.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShameless,\u201d says the Mail<\/strong>. \u201cLet\u2019s honour nation\u2019s injured 999 heroes,\u201d is the main story at the Express<\/strong>. Finally the Sun<\/strong> with \u201cCheryl stalker nicked again,\u201d and the Star<\/strong>: \u201cHis royal sky-ness.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>A file handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency Facebook page on July 8, 2022, shows Syria\u2019s President Bashar al-Assad (C-L) and his wife Asma al-Assad (C) walking with their children, Hafez (2nd-R), Karim (R) and Zein (L), next to the Grand Umayyad mosque in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. <\/span> Photograph: Syrian Presidency Facebook page\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n What the Assads did next<\/strong><\/p>\n Pjotr Sauer, a Russian affairs reporter for the Guardian, talks to Annie Kelly about the exclusive Moscow neighbourhood to which the Assad family have relocated since their exile from Syria. Will Christou, a Beirut-based reporter, describes the means by which the Assads fled Syria during the uprising and the likelihood of the family facing justice.<\/p>\n <\/span>Ben Jennings cartoon<\/span> Illustration: Ben Jennings\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span>Anthony Waddle\u2019s experiment helped frogs stay warm in winter and fight off infection.<\/span> Photograph: Yorick Lambreghts\/Courtesy of Macquarie University<\/p>\n As an eight-year-old, Anthony Waddle once stood ankle-deep in water netting tadpoles, which he recalls as \u201cone of the perfect moments in my childhood\u201d. He did it because, as he puts it, \u201cmetamorphosis is the reason kids bring tadpoles home. They want to watch that change.\u201d<\/p>\n Now aged 35, the award-winning conservation biologist on a mission to save the species that fascinated him as a boy from the deadly chytrid fungus, which has wiped out 90 species and is threatening more than 500 more. In Australia, Waddle has built ingenious \u201cfrog saunas\u201d that warm endangered species enough for them to resist the fungus. He is also vaccinating frogs and even trialling gene editing to save those beyond other means of help.<\/p>\n Australian herpetologist and conservationist Dr Jodi Rowley calls Waddle\u2019s work \u201ca ray of hope in amphibian conservation \u2013 we need these really innovative and cutting-edge strategies to help turn things around.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. Microplastics are everywhere. They have been found at the top of Mount Everest and in the deepest ocean trenches. They are in our food, our water and the air we breathe. For a while, research suggested they were inside us too. Studies reported microplastics in our cells, brains, placentas and testicles. But that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[1868,1043,1052,3259,6387,5600],"class_list":{"0":"post-41729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-body","9":"tag-briefing","10":"tag-full","11":"tag-microplastics","12":"tag-plastics","13":"tag-thursday"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}In depth: \u2018Some scientists likened microplastics study to a gold rush\u2019<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n