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Can microplastics be visualised with MRI?
M Imperatori1, E J I Hoeijmakers2, L W M Vergoossen3
1Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
European Journal of Radiology
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) are detectable using T2*-weighted MRI scans, appearing as hypointensities. This discovery may impact the clinical interpretation of medical imaging results.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) are increasingly found in human tissues.
- Current detection methods for NMPs in tissues are destructive and post-mortem, limiting research.
- The visibility of NMPs in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and their impact on medical imaging are unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) are visible using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
- To determine the implications of NMPs for medical imaging interpretation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized MR imaging phantoms with varying concentrations of NMPs suspended in agar.
- Included phantoms with 3D-printed plastic flakes (PETG) in agar.
- Employed susceptibility-weighted imaging (T2* scans) and computational modeling.
Main Results:
- NMPs were not visible on standard T1 and T2 weighted MR scans.
- NMP aggregates appeared as hypointensities on T2*-weighted scans.
- Computational modeling confirmed NMP aggregates create localized magnetic field inhomogeneities, acting as magnetic susceptibility dipoles.
Conclusions:
- Nanoplastic and microplastic aggregates are detectable using T2*-weighted MR imaging.
- The presence of NMPs may complicate the clinical interpretation of MR images.
