Public concern about microplastics continues to rise, increasing the need for credible and comparable studies to inform policy. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has recently been asked by the European Commission to assess health risks related to microplastics in food, water and air by 2027, but the current evidence-base still suffers from major uncertainties, methodological gaps and misinterpretations.

Among Norner’s approaches in microplastics is strengthening measurement quality, particularly through ¹³C‑labelled polymers, which help separate real plastic signals from natural background noise in complex samples.

Why microplastics evidence is hard to interpret

Microplastics are detected across ecosystems, but their small size and low concentrations make confident identification difficult, especially in food, soils and biological tissues.

Although the number of studies has grown, EFSA notes that the vast majority still lack robustness, relevance and the quality required to be credible. Norner’s evaluations confirm that sample preparation challenges and misidentification, e.g., confusing natural particles with plastics, can distort results.

The bottleneck: distinguishing plastics from nature in real matrices

Organic‑rich environments contain high levels of natural carbon that can resemble polymers, and contamination control is difficult. Scientific bodies therefore call for harmonised methods and stronger quality assurance.

For risk assessment, researchers need more than detection, they must understand where particles move, concentration, transformation, and whether they accumulate. That requires a clear way to trace plastic‑derived carbon through real-world systems.

A practical solution: stable isotope labelling as a “harmless tag”

Stable isotope labelling provides that clarity. Incorporating ¹³C into polymers enables researchers to distinguish plastic‑derived carbon from natural sources during degradation and transformation.

Unlike radioactive ¹⁴C , ¹³C is safe, stable and easy to handle, avoiding regulatory burdens. Most importantly, it reduces false positives and increases confidence in microplastics measurements.

From labelled polymer to measurable evidence: IRMS and Py‑GCMS

Techniques such as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and pyrolysis GC‑MS (Py‑GCMS) allow precise detection and tracking of ¹³C‑labelled polymers.

These tools support clearer insights into plastic fate, degradation and potential bioaccumulation, key elements of exposure assessment. They also help standardise methods across laboratories, improving comparability in a field where results often vary.

Norner’s polymerisation laboratory for producing tailor-made advanced polymers.

Norner’s contribution: gram‑scale ¹³C‑labelled polyethylene for high‑quality research

“Norner has developed gram‑scale ¹³C‑labelled polyethylene, enabling realistic test designs and robust validation in our collaborative Enzyclic project, which is supported by the Research Council of Norway and industry partners. The same concept can be extended to other polymers and additives, broadening its relevance as research expands.”, says Ravindra Reddy Chowreddy, Senior Researcher at Norner.

Such materials support rigorous fate and degradation studies and help generate evidence suitable for regulatory assessments.

Senior Researcher at Norner, Ravindra Chowreddy.

Why this matters now for Europe’s risk assessment agenda

EFSA’s upcoming scientific opinion aims to reduce uncertainty and support consumer protection. Strengthening the analytical reliability of microplastics measurements, especially in complex samples, is central to that mission.

In a field shaped by uncertainty, better measurement tools are essential. Stable isotope labelling is one of the most practical ways to improve clarity, comparability and confidence in microplastics research.

“At Norner, our focus is aligned with a simple principle: building a fact‑based, not fear‑based knowledge base. As 33% of EU citizens identify microplastics as one of their main food safety worries, a multi-disciplinary collaboration is required to enable EFSA to establish a robust scientific opinion. We need to move the debate away from sensationalism and towards reproducible evidence that can be weighed across studies.”, says Thor Kamfjord, Director Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Norner.

Further reading:

• EFSA news release: Microplastics: European Parliament requests scientific advice from EFSA
• EFSA publication page: 2025 Eurobarometer on Food Safety in the EU
• SAPEA, Scientific Opinion: Environmental and health risks of microplastic pollution
• VKM. Risk assessment: Microplastics; occurrence, levels and implications for environment and human health related to food
• Norner News 2025: Untangling Polymer Complexity

Media & collaboration enquiries

Ravindra Reddy Chowreddy — +47 945 27 990, ravindra.chowreddy@norner.no

Thor Kamfjord — +47 970 50 534, Thor.Kamfjord@norner.no

Norner is a global market leader in industrial polymer R&D services based in Norway, operating an advanced technology centre for development and testing. Norner delivers R&D, laboratory and strategic advisory services grounded in decades of industrial experience, supporting customers across polymer industry, energy, consumables, healthcare, automotive and infrastructure, with strong activity in circular economy and green technologies.