Human Exposure and Accumulation of Plastics

Microplastics (1 μm – 5 mm) and nanoplastics (< 1 μm) are found in a variety of environmental compartments, including water, soil, and air. There are currently limited studies that assess human exposure to these micro and nanosized plastics and their potential accumulation in the human body. Hence, this project aims to investigate human exposure and the fate of micro and nanoplastics following their ingestion or inhalation. Biomonitoring samples (e.g., tissue, blood) will be collected by collaborating surgeons at partner hospitals to determine whether micro and nanoplastics are accumulated in the body and the effects of their accumulation on human health. Furthermore, the key human exposure pathways will also be investigated to improve the very limited understanding of exposure and fate of plastics in humans, and sampling methods will be developed and optimised for various sampling matrices to improve result accuracy in future testing.

Industry Placement

• 3 months at NevHouse.

Conference Abstracts

Chen, H., Thomas, K.V. & Rauert, C. Understanding spatial and temporal trends of atmospheric microplastics and nanoplastics in laboratories, Plastics2026, Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 March 2026.

Chen, H., Thomas, K.V. & Rauert, C. Understanding spatial and temporal trends of atmospheric microplastics in laboratories, SETAC Australasia, New Zealand, 25-28 August 2025.

Chen, H., Rauert, C. & Thomas, K. Investigating the impacts on molecular weight and tacticity of polystyrene on the formation of pyrolysis products using pyrolysis - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry, Queensland Mass Spectrometry Symposium, Brisbane, Australia, 9 February 2024.

Chen, H., Thomas, K.V. & Rauert, C. Investigating matrix interference from analysing nanoplastics and microplastics in spleen samples by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, 25th International Mass Spectrometry Conference 2024, Melbourne, Australia, 17-23 August 2024.

Research Outputs

Chen, H., Thomas, K.V. and Rauert, C., 2025. Evaluating the influence of polystyrene standards on quantification in environmental samples. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 5(1), p.29.

Goldsworthy, A., O’Callaghan, L.A., Tronstad, O., Suen, J., Chen, H., Rauert, C., Blum, C.B., Tajouri, L., Olsen, M., Thomas, K.V. and Fraser, J.F., 2025. Micro-and Nanoplastic-Induced Respiratory Disease and Dysfunction: A Scoping Review. Microplastics, 4(4), p.79.

Awards

• 2025 SETAC AU Student Travel Award, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - Australasia, June 2025.
• 2026 Winner of the LGC Microplastics Poster Competition, March 2026.