Too much of a small thing - microplastics in the human body

Microplastics have been found in human lungs and blood. But what damage are these tiny particles doing?

The short answer is - we don't know! There are many gaps in our knowledge regarding the harm caused by microplastics, as well as how prevalent they are throughout our bodies. But what we do know is a serious cause for concern. For example, plastic fibres have been found in the lung tissue of individuals with or that have died from lung cancer. Similarly, the concentration of microplastics was found to be significantly higher in the stool samples (poo samples) of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease, than those without the disease. Research has also shown that microplastics can deform human red blood cell membranes and impact cell function.

Read more:

Microplastics Are Found Outside in Nature and Inside the Body—but Evidence of Health Risks Is Inconclusive

Microplastics found in human blood for first time