Is your body really full of microplastics? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 20, 2026 · 14 MIN

Is your body really full of microplastics?

from Science Weekly · host The Guardian

Studies detecting microplastics throughout human bodies have made for alarming reading in recent years. But last week, the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, reported on major doubts among a group of scientists about how some of this research has been conducted. Damian tells Ian Sample how he first heard about the concerns, why the scientists think the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives, and where it leaves the field. He also reflects on how we should now think about our exposure to microplastics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 20, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Is your body really full of microplastics?

0:00 14:24

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Science Weekly?

This episode is 14 minutes long.

When was this Science Weekly episode published?

This episode was published on January 20, 2026.

Can I download this Science Weekly episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!