Doctors have successfully 'filtered' microplastics out of human blood for the first time.
April 14, 2026
Original Paper
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange to Deplete Microplastic Particles from the Bloodstream of Patients
SSRN · 6539933
The Takeaway
We have known for years that microplastics are inside us, but we had no way to get them out. By using plasma exchange, researchers proved they can significantly drop the plastic concentration in a living person's bloodstream.
From the abstract
PurposeMicroplastic (1 µm to 5 mm) particles (MP) from of plastic waste in our environment may be inhaled, absorbed or ingested. They may enter the heart, lungs, GI tract and other systems and cause adverse effects including hemolysis, platelet aggregation, thrombosis or organ dysfunction. There is no established method for removing MP from the body. MP have been found in the eluate plasma from double filtration plasmapheresis, suggesting that circulating MP may be removed by apheresis.MethodsTh