Did you know that scientists are now finding microplastics in human blood, lungs, brains and even in the placenta of pregnant women? These are places where plastic should simply never have ended up. Research is answering the question of whether microplastics are harmful to health with increasing urgency. Not with definitive statements, but with findings that are taken seriously by institutions such as the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and international journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine.
Short answer: Plastic cutting boards (PE, HDPE and PP) shed microplastics when you cut on them; research in Environmental Science and Technology (2023) estimated this at a few grams to tens of grams per person per year. Cutting boards made from stainless steel, glass, wood or bamboo contain no plastic and therefore release no microplastics. For a non-porous, dishwasher-safe board that needs no maintenance, stainless steel is the practical choice.
In this article you will read what science knows so far about the effects of microplastics in the body, which sources in your everyday kitchen play a role and what you can do yourself to reduce your exposure.
What are microplastics and how do they get into your body?
Microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than five millimetres. The even smaller variant, nanoplastics, is smaller than one hundred nanometres and invisible to the naked eye. They form when plastic breaks down through sunlight, mechanical wear or chemical processes. But they are also released during everyday activities, such as cutting vegetables on a plastic cutting board or washing synthetic clothing.
There are three routes by which they enter the body: you swallow them through food and drinking water, you breathe them in through indoor and outdoor air, and to a lesser extent through skin contact. Research by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam confirmed that microplastics were found in the blood of 64 of the 68 people tested. Polyethylene, PVC and PET: types of plastic found in food packaging, bottles and plastic bags.
The MOMENTUM consortium, funded by ZonMw and supported by twelve Dutch research institutions, showed that microplastics and nanoplastics can pass through the walls of the intestines and airways. They have been found in blood and in amniotic fluid during pregnancy, and they can reach the brain.
Where in the body do microplastics end up?
In recent years, the list of places where microplastics have been found in the human body has grown rapidly. They have been found in the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, placenta, arterial plaque and brain tissue. These are not fringe findings, but results from several independent research groups around the world.
A study published in Nature Medicine in 2025, carried out at the University of New Mexico, examined human brain samples from 2016 and 2024. Concentrations of microplastics in brain tissue from 2024 were an estimated fifty percent higher than in 2016. It was also striking that the brains of people with dementia generally contained a larger amount of microplastics. The researchers stress that this does not necessarily mean microplastics cause dementia, but that the link calls for further research.
Plastic is designed to last. That is exactly the property that makes it dangerous once it ends up in tissues and organs: it stays there.
Are microplastics harmful to health: what does the evidence say?
The most direct question is also the hardest to answer: exactly how harmful are microplastics? The honest summary is that science is still very much in progress, but that the indications are becoming more and more concrete.
Cardiovascular disease: the most direct clinical study
The most discussed study so far appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2024. Researcher Raffaele Marfella and colleagues studied patients who underwent surgery to remove plaque from the carotid arteries. In patients in whom microplastics and nanoplastics were found in the arterial plaque, the risk of a heart attack, stroke or death in the period that followed was more than four times higher than in patients without those particles in the plaque. The study does not prove a causal link, but the association is statistically strong and attracted wide attention in the medical world.
Inflammation, oxidative stress and immune effects
Laboratory and animal studies show that microplastics can trigger inflammatory responses and cause oxidative stress at cell level. A review published in Frontiers in Public Health (2025) concluded that microplastics can have a negative effect on health through several mechanisms, including damage to cells in the digestive system and airways, and possible impairment of immune function. Clinical studies in humans point to possible effects on the immune system, fertility and the cardiovascular system, although direct evidence of causality in humans is still limited.
Hormone disruption through plastic additives
In addition to the base material, plastic contains all kinds of additives: plasticisers, stabilisers and substances such as BPA. Some of these substances are known endocrine disruptors. When microplastics enter the body, these additives can be released and affect the hormone balance. Researchers link this to possible reproductive disorders and an increased risk of certain types of cancer, although the exact thresholds for harm in humans have not yet been established.
The message from institutions such as the RIVM and the ZonMw-funded MOMENTUM consortium is consistent: the long-term effects are not yet fully known, but that is a reason for caution and accelerated research, not for waiting.
The cutting board: an underestimated source of microplastics in food
A lot of attention goes to microplastics in drinking water and packaging. But there is a source in the kitchen that stayed under the radar for a long time: the plastic cutting board. Research published in Environmental Science and Technology by Himani Yadav and colleagues (2023) calculated that a polyethylene or polypropylene cutting board can release up to 50 grams of microplastics per year with normal use, directly into the food cut on it. The researchers literally call cutting boards "an overlooked source".
Every scratch on a plastic cutting board is material that disappears. Not into the air, but into the vegetables, meat and fish you then eat. The particles are too small to see or taste, but they are there. And as the board gets older and more scratched, the release increases.
A stainless steel cutting board does not wear that way. The surface of 304 stainless steel is non-porous and releases no particles into food. That makes it a logical choice if you want to eliminate microplastic intake through your cutting board. Read more about the differences between materials in our extensive cutting board material comparison: plastic, wood, bamboo or stainless steel.
Avoiding microplastics in the kitchen: what works?
You cannot eliminate all exposure to microplastics. They are in the air, in drinking water and in food packaging. But the sources in your immediate kitchen environment are easy to control, and that is exactly where you have the most impact.
Replace your plastic cutting board
This is the most direct step. A plastic cutting board covered in scratches releases microplastics into your food with every cut. A stainless steel cutting board, such as the TitanChef stainless steel cutting board, does not wear that way. The surface stays intact, no particles come loose and the material is also dishwasher safe and, thanks to its non-porous surface, easy to clean thoroughly. Want to know how to care for a stainless steel cutting board properly? Then read how to clean a stainless steel cutting board and keep it hygienic.
Be careful with damaged pans
A damaged non-stick coating also releases microplastics and nanoplastics into food. Replace pans whose coating is coming off, even if they otherwise still seem usable. If in doubt, use stainless steel or cast iron.
Avoid plastic packaging where possible
Food packaging is the largest source of microplastics in our diet. Fresh products without plastic packaging are the better choice. Never put plastic containers in the microwave, because heat speeds up the release of plastic additives into the food.
Ventilate regularly
Indoor air often contains more microplastics than outdoor air, because they are released from synthetic textiles, furniture and household products. Ventilating regularly helps lower the concentrations.
Children and microplastics: extra attention is justified
Children are estimated to breathe in up to three times more microplastics than adults, because they inhale relatively more air per kilogram of body weight and spend more time on the floor, where plastic particles accumulate. Babies also take in extra particles through plastic bottles and toys.
It is also known that microplastics have been found in the bodies of newborn babies, via the mother's placenta. That fact underlines why paying attention to the sources in the kitchen matters, not as a scare story, but as a practical choice: if you know the sources, you can tackle them.
Looking for a cutting board without plastic? The TitanChef Original is made from 304 stainless steel and releases no microplastics.
Want to know more? Also read plastic-free cutting board: how to keep microplastics out of your food.
Want to see all materials side by side? Read our comparison of wood, bamboo, plastic, glass and stainless steel.
To prevent cross-contamination, use a separate cutting board for raw meat or fish. This is also the advice of the Dutch Nutrition Centre, the Voedingscentrum. That plastic cutting boards shed microplastics when you cut on them has been researched and published in Environmental Science and Technology (2023): depending on the material, this amounts to an estimated few grams to tens of grams per person per year.
Frequently asked questions: are microplastics harmful to health?
Are microplastics harmful to your health?
Scientists warn that there are indications that microplastics may be harmful to health, but the full extent is still being researched. Clinical studies, such as Marfella et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine (2024), show a link between microplastics in arterial plaque and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Science does not yet fully know how much harm is done at typical levels of exposure, or at exactly which amounts.
How do microplastics get into your body?
Microplastics enter the body through three routes: swallowing them through food and drinking water, breathing them in through indoor and outdoor air, and to a lesser extent through skin contact. Researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found microplastics in the blood of 64 of the 68 people tested. The particles are absorbed from the lungs and the digestive tract and then spread through the body.
Do microplastics accumulate in organs?
Yes, several studies confirm that microplastics are found in organs and tissues, including the lungs, liver, spleen, placenta, arterial plaque and brain. Research by the Dutch MOMENTUM consortium shows that the particles can pass through the walls of the intestines and airways and may accumulate in the liver and spleen. Plastic is designed to last, and that property also applies inside the body.
Can microplastics disrupt hormones?
There are indications that they can. Plastic contains additives such as plasticisers and BPA-like substances that are classified as endocrine disruptors. A review published in 2025 shows that microplastics may disrupt hormone regulation, which has been linked to reproductive disorders. How strong this effect is at the amounts people take in every day requires further research.
How many microplastics do I swallow per week?
Estimates vary, but they are becoming more concrete every year. Researchers estimate that people take in an average of around five grams of microplastics per week through food, drink and breathing, roughly the weight of a bank card. There is scientific debate about the exact amount, but the direction is clear: exposure is increasing, and concentrations in brain tissue measured in 2024 were an estimated fifty percent higher than in 2016.
What do microplastics do to your immune system?
Laboratory and animal studies show that microplastics can trigger inflammatory responses and cause oxidative stress at cell level. Clinical studies in humans point to possible effects of microplastics on the immune system, although direct evidence of causality in humans is still limited. The RIVM and the ZonMw-funded MOMENTUM consortium are carrying out ongoing research into exactly this link, and the first results give reason for attention.
Which kitchen products put the most microplastics in your food?
The plastic cutting board is one of the most underestimated sources of microplastics in food. Research by Yadav et al. (2023) calculated that a polyethylene or polypropylene cutting board can release up to 50 grams of microplastics per year with normal use, directly through the food cut on it. Other kitchen sources are damaged non-stick pans and plastic food packaging.
What can you do yourself to take in fewer microplastics?
The most direct step is to replace plastic kitchen tools that wear with use, for example with a plastic-free cutting board made from stainless steel. It also helps to avoid plastic packaging where possible, not to heat food in plastic containers and to ventilate regularly. When it comes to avoiding microplastics in the kitchen, the cutting board is the easiest source to control: you can replace it tomorrow.
Which cutting board does not release microplastics?
Stainless steel, glass, solid wood and bamboo contain no plastic and release no microplastics. Only plastic boards (PE, HDPE or PP) do so when you cut, according to research published in Environmental Science and Technology in 2023.
How many microplastics come from a plastic cutting board?
The 2023 study estimated exposure at about 7 to 50 grams per person per year for a polyethylene board and around 50 grams for a polypropylene board. The more scratches, the more particles are released.
Conclusion: are microplastics harmful to health?
The full picture is not there yet, but the findings point in a clear direction. Microplastics are found in places in the body where they do not belong, there are indications of inflammatory responses and possible hormonal effects, and a link with cardiovascular disease has been shown in a clinical study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Whether microplastics are harmful to health at the daily doses people take in requires more research. That the particles are there, and increasing, is certain.
If you want to reduce your exposure, the best place to start is with the sources you can control directly. The plastic cutting board is one of them: an underestimated source that is used several times a day, and that can easily be replaced by a material that does not wear and releases no particles into food.
Take a look at the TitanChef stainless steel cutting boards below, along with more blogs to read.
