You breathe it in. You drink it. And yes, you eat it. Microplastics are no longer just a problem in the oceans – they're in your blood, your lungs, your placenta, your gut. The only question is: What does it do to your health?
Microplastics in us: The invisible enemy?
Microplastics are ubiquitous. They originate from abraded car tire dust, synthetic textiles, packaging materials, or cosmetics – and find their way into the human body through air, water, and food. But how dangerous is this exposure really?
What do the data say?
Scientifically, the situation is complex, but by no means clearly alarming. Here's a look at the metrics from human biological studies:
- Lung tissue: 1.42 microplastic particles per gram
- Blood: 1.6 micrograms per milliliter
- Placenta: up to 0.09 milligrams per gram of tissue
- Intestinal tissue: over 28 particles per gram
This means: Microplastics are measurable – and they accumulate in tissues. But: That alone does not make them dangerous. The human body has impressive detoxification mechanisms – the majority of ingested microplastic particles are excreted again within 24 to 72 hours. Through the liver, kidney, intestine, and through mucus filtration.
The difference lies in the size – and in the evidence
It becomes critical when particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers. These tiny parts can overcome cell barriers and enter the bloodstream. However, what they do there is still largely unclear. So far, there are no reliable long-term studies that causally link microplastics to diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, or heart attacks.
The comparison with fine dust (PM2.5) clearly shows: Air pollution from industrial emissions or car exhaust is far more toxic - and scientifically clearly associated with cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and dementia.
