The paper opened an entire research field. Since then, more than 7,000 published studies have shown the prevalence of microplastics in the environment, in wildlife and in the human body. So what have we learned? In a paper released today, an international group of experts, including myself, summarise the current state of knowledge.

Science has provided more than sufficient evidence to inform a collective and global approach to tackle the continued spread of plastic pollution, according to a new report.

Evidence of microplastics, which are in everything from clothes to water bottles, has been found in human brains, researchers said.

Scientists in Brazil have found more evidence of microplastics infiltrating the human body. While it has been previously reported that microplastics were found in human brain tissue, this recent study discovered these tiny particles in the olfactory bulbs of the brain which are responsible for processing smells.

A new study has detected microplastics in human brain tissue, marking the first time these plastic particles have been documented in this part of the body, raising concerns about potential neurotoxic effects.

The study suggests that microplastics may reach the brain via the olfactory pathway, similar to air pollution particles. The research

However, the new study suggests that there's "a potential pathway for the translocation of microplastics to the brain" via the olfactory bulb, according to a team led by Luis Fernando Amato-Lourenco, of the Free University Berlin and Thais Mauad, an associate professor of pathology at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil.

Microplastics continue to be found in some concerning parts of the human body. A new study published Sept. 16 in the JAMA Network Open journal explains how microplastics in the human brain can affect an important part of our daily lives: how we smell.

Microplastics are inescapable. These miniscule plastic particles have been found at ancient archaeological sites, in freshly fallen snow on Antarctica, at the top of Mount Everest and deep in the Mariana Trench.