Abstract: To summarize studies on detections of microplastic particles in environmental and biological samples. The reported methods′ theory, methodology, technical characteristics, and application were described and their main advantages/disadvantages and research directions were discussed. Major technologies for detections of microplastic particles in environmental and biological samples include microscope- and imaging-based particle morphological characterization, light spectrum-based plastic molecular and atomic analysis, pyrolysis-based reaction characteristics and products analysis and other analytical methods. There are great disparities in detection results of microplastic particles in various types samples using different methods; as yet there is no a method which could meet simultaneous analysis on morphology, composition, and trace concentration of micro- and nano-plastic particles in complex samples. While, pyrolysis-based gas chromatography-mass spectrometry could be employed as a general analysis on particles with specific size in prepared samples; combined with pyrolytic condition optimization and utilization of high-throughput mass spectrometry detector, the method could be applied to detections of trace plastic in various environmental and biological samples.