Plastic particles in your blood: to many people it sounds like something from the future, but it has been reality for years. In 2022, scientists at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam showed conclusively for the first time that microplastics in blood are present in healthy adults. Since then, follow-up research has confirmed and expanded those findings and placed them in a worrying new light. What exactly do we know now, what are the possible dangers, and what can you do about it yourself?
How microplastics end up in your blood
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimetres. The even smaller nanoplastics are smaller than one micrometre and no longer visible to the naked eye. Both categories reach the human bloodstream via two routes: through eating and drinking, particles are absorbed through the intestinal wall, and by inhaling plastic fibres or dust particles, they reach the circulation through the lungs.
The groundbreaking study by Leslie et al. (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, published in the scientific journal Environment International, 2022) found that plastic was detectable in 17 of the 22 blood samples examined. The most common polymers were PET, the plastic used in drinks bottles, and polystyrene, which is widely used in food packaging. An average concentration of about 1.6 micrograms of plastic per millilitre of blood was measured in participants with detectable particles.
A follow-up study by the same research group, published in 2024 in the journal Microplastics and Nanoplastics, confirmed these findings with a larger test group of 68 participants. Polymers were found in 64 of those 68 blood samples, with polyethylene the most common, followed by PVC, PET and PMMA. Measured concentrations varied widely between participants, from about 170 to almost 2,500 nanograms per millilitre (0.17 to 2.5 micrograms per millilitre).
The dangers of microplastics in blood: the most direct evidence so far
The fact that plastic particles are in our blood raises the question of what that does to your health. The most direct indication so far comes from a study by Marfella et al., published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2024. The researchers analysed arterial tissue from patients undergoing surgery for atherosclerosis in the carotid artery.
In patients in whom microplastics and nanoplastics were found in the arterial plaque, the risk of heart attack, stroke or death in the 34 months after surgery was significantly higher than in patients without plastic in the plaque. In addition, higher concentrations of inflammatory markers were found in the tissue of the plastic-positive group, suggesting that the presence of plastic particles may accelerate atherosclerosis. This is an association, not a proven cause-and-effect relationship, but it is the first clinical study to establish a direct link between microplastics in the body and a serious, measured health effect in humans.
Earlier research had already pointed to possible inflammatory responses in the digestive tract and to the ability of plastic particles to act as carriers for endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in plastic production. Exactly how harmful the particles are, and at what concentrations damage occurs, is still the subject of ongoing research worldwide.
Microplastics and accumulation in organs
Once plastic particles are in the bloodstream, they travel through the body. Earlier studies had already found microplastics in the lungs, placenta, liver, kidneys and bone marrow. What recent research adds is that the particles also reach the brain, an organ that was always considered well protected by the so-called blood-brain barrier.
Research by the University of New Mexico, published in Nature Medicine in 2025, analysed brain tissue from people who died between 2016 and 2024. The findings were striking: the concentration of microplastics in brain tissue was significantly higher than in other organs such as the liver or kidneys. Brain tissue from people who died in 2024 contained up to 50 percent more microplastics than comparable samples from 2016. That means accumulation in human brains is increasing rapidly.
Another striking finding: brain tissue from people diagnosed with dementia contained three to five times as much plastic as brain tissue from people without dementia. The researchers stress that this is no proof that microplastics cause dementia. The link does call for serious follow-up research.
As for how microplastics manage to cross the blood-brain barrier: more recent findings suggest that not only the very smallest nanoplastics pass through this filter, but that slightly larger particles also reach the brain. The barrier turns out to be less impenetrable than long thought.
The role of your kitchen: plastic cutting boards and microplastics in food
When you think about sources of microplastics in food, you probably think of plastic packaging or drinking water. Fewer people know that the cutting board on your worktop can also be a direct source. Research by Yadav et al. (University of North Dakota, published in Environmental Science & Technology, 2023) examined how many microplastics are released with normal use of a plastic cutting board.
The conclusions were concrete: a polyethylene cutting board can release up to 50 grams of microplastics per year with normal use, straight into the food you prepare. With every cut on a hard plastic surface, particles are released that stay invisibly on the knife and the ingredient. The scientists described the plastic cutting board as an "overlooked source" of microplastic exposure through food.
What makes this source special is that you can do something about it yourself. Filtering drinking water is laborious. Avoiding food packaging completely requires a drastic lifestyle change. Replacing a plastic cutting board with a stainless steel one is a concrete step you can take tomorrow. A stainless steel cutting board does not wear the way plastic does: no particles come loose into your food.
If you want to read more about exactly what is left behind in the grooves of a plastic cutting board over time, you will find a detailed analysis in this article about plastic cutting board scratches and microplastics.
How microplastics enter the body through eating, breathing and drinking
People take in microplastics via three routes. The first and best known route is through food and drink. Plastic particles are present in fish and seafood, in drinking water, in food packed in plastic and in food prepared on or with plastic kitchenware. The smallest particles are absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall.
The second route is inhalation. Indoor air constantly contains floating plastic fibres and dust particles from synthetic textiles, carpets and packaging. The smallest particles reach the circulation through the lungs. Research shows that people in busy urban environments inhale relatively more microplastics than people in the countryside.
The third route, less well known but relevant, is exposure through medical materials such as IV tubing and blood bags. For the average consumer this plays a limited role, but for people who regularly undergo medical treatment it is a factor.
Which route contributes most to total accumulation in the body differs per person and per living environment. Food and drink are most consistently identified as the main route in the scientific literature.
Are children extra vulnerable to harmful plastic particles in their blood?
Research suggests that young children and infants take in relatively more microplastics than adults. There are several reasons for this. Infants drink from plastic baby bottles, which can release more particles when heated. Toddlers crawl on floors and put things in their mouths, which increases exposure through skin and mouth. In addition, the body's own filtering mechanisms are not yet fully developed in young children.
Microplastics have also been found in human placenta, which means exposure may begin before birth. The long-term consequences for the development of children who take in higher concentrations from an early age are not yet known. It is precisely that uncertainty that leads many parents to limit sources of exposure at home as much as possible.
What the long-term consequences of microplastics in blood could be
Science is still at the beginning on this point. What is already clear: microplastics accumulate in organs and are not all excreted. They may carry chemical additives with them, such as plasticisers and BPA-like substances, which can have endocrine-disrupting effects. Laboratory studies have found indications of oxidative stress at cellular level and of inflammatory responses.
The 2024 Marfella study adds the most concrete clinical evidence: a statistically significant higher risk of cardiovascular events in people with microplastics in their arterial plaque. At the same time, the researchers themselves stress that this is an association, and that more research is needed to definitively separate cause and effect.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is continuously researching the effects of microplastics on the immune system and has stated several times that the long-term effects on human health are not yet fully clear, but that this is a reason for caution, not for waiting. Through the MOMENTUM consortium, Dutch scientists play a leading role in this research.
Looking for a cutting board without those drawbacks? Take a look at the TitanChef Original, made of solid stainless steel.
Also read: Are microplastics harmful to your health? What the research says.
Frequently asked questions about the dangers of microplastics in blood
How do microplastics end up in my blood?
Microplastics reach your bloodstream via two main routes: through eating and drinking, small particles are absorbed through the intestinal wall, and by inhaling plastic fibres and dust particles, they reach the circulation through the lungs. Researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam confirmed in 2022 and again in 2024 that plastic particles, including polyethylene, PVC and PET, are demonstrably present in human blood. How quickly and in what quantity this happens differs per person and per source of exposure.
Are plastic particles in the blood harmful to your health?
There are indications that plastic particles in the blood can be harmful, but science has not had the final word on this. A clinical study by Marfella et al., published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2024, found that patients with microplastics in their arterial plaque had a significantly higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death than patients without. This is the first study to establish a direct link between microplastics in the body and a serious health effect in humans. Whether, and to what extent, this also applies to people without atherosclerosis is still being investigated.
How many microplastics are in the average person's blood?
The groundbreaking study by Leslie et al. (VU Amsterdam, 2022) found an average concentration of about 1.6 micrograms of plastic per millilitre of blood in participants with detectable particles. A 2024 follow-up study by the same research group found polymers in 64 of 68 blood samples, with measured concentrations varying widely from person to person: from 170 to 2,490 nanograms per millilitre (about 0.17 to 2.5 micrograms per millilitre).
Can microplastics penetrate from the blood into organs such as the brain?
Yes, that appears to be the case. Research by the University of New Mexico, published in Nature Medicine in 2025, showed that microplastics are present in human brain tissue, and that concentrations have risen sharply in recent years. The earlier assumption was that only the very smallest nanoplastics could cross the blood-brain barrier, but more recent findings suggest that slightly larger particles also reach the brain. What that means in the long term for neurological health is still the subject of ongoing research.
Which sources give me the most microplastics: food, drink or the air I breathe?
Microplastics enter the body through eating, drinking and breathing. Food packaging is considered one of the largest sources in the scientific literature. Drinking water, synthetic textile fibres in the air and everyday kitchen products also play a role. An underestimated source is the plastic cutting board: research by Yadav et al. (2023) calculated that a plastic cutting board can release up to 50 grams of microplastics per year straight into prepared food with normal use. That makes it a source you can tackle without much effort.
Do microplastics accumulate in the body, or do they disappear again?
Larger particles partly leave the body via the stool, but the very smallest particles can penetrate cell walls and may remain in tissue for a long time. There is not yet a proven medical method to actively remove microplastics from the blood or organs. The only evidence-based approach is to limit new exposure, so that your body receives fewer new particles.
Can you reduce the amount of microplastics in your body yourself, and how?
You can limit how many microplastics you take in through food and the air you breathe by making conscious choices about food and kitchenware. Think of drinking tap water instead of bottled water, avoiding plastic packaging as much as possible, and replacing plastic kitchen tools with materials that do not release particles. Replacing a plastic cutting board with a stainless steel one is one of the easiest steps: it immediately removes a source that actively releases microplastics into your food at every meal.
Conclusion: what science says about the dangers of microplastics in blood
The dangers of microplastics in blood are not a hypothetical future scenario. Scientists find plastic particles in the blood of healthy people, in arterial tissue, in the lungs, placenta and brain. VU Amsterdam was the first to show that this also applies in the Netherlands, and recent research links the presence of microplastics to measurable health effects in humans for the first time. The science is in full swing and many questions remain open, but the direction is clear: limiting exposure makes sense, and the sources you control yourself are the logical place to start. A plastic cutting board is one of them.
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