A snapshot
One saliva sample is one point in time, not a permanent measure of your whole body.
The science
How PlasticTox works.
We screen and count candidate microplastic particles in saliva using Nile Red staining and microscopy. You get an exposure baseline—not a medical diagnosis.
Exposure awareness · Educational use
At a glance
- Sample
- At-home saliva collection
- Method
- Nile Red + microscopy
- Output
- Candidate particle count
- Purpose
- Personal exposure baseline
Lab workflow
From card
to baseline.
Nile Red is a fluorescent dye used in peer-reviewed microplastics screening research. It makes candidate particles visible for microscopy review and counting.
- 01
Collect
Add a morning saliva sample to the five-circle card.
- 02
Return
Mail the dried card back in the prepaid return.
- 03
Stain
The lab prepares the sample and applies Nile Red.
- 04
Review
Microscopy counts candidate particles, then results reach your dashboard.
Important method context
Nile Red is a screening tool, not standalone polymer spectroscopy. Published methods note that organic material can fluoresce, and that preparation, controls, and confirmatory techniques affect specificity.
Review the foundational Nile Red paper ↗
Published human research
A useful pilot.
Not proof of causation.
A 2026 Mayo Clinic-led observational pilot used the PlasticTox kit on peripheral blood from 29 participants: 10 controls, 9 with COPD, 10 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
It reported higher candidate microplastic counts in the pulmonary-disease groups. It was exploratory, used blood rather than saliva, and did not independently validate the assay against µFTIR, Raman spectroscopy, or pyrolysis-GC/MS.
- 29
- participants
- Blood
- sample type
- Pilot
- study design
Clear boundaries
What it does
and doesn't mean.
Good science is as clear about its limits as its findings. PlasticTox is for personal exposure awareness and education.
Not a diagnosis
The result does not diagnose, treat, cure, prevent, or predict any disease or medical condition.
Particles, not chemicals
It does not measure phthalates, BPA, PFAS, or every chemical linked to plastics.
Start your baseline
Get your
baseline.
One test for a starting point, or a multi-test plan to build re-testing in.
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