Microplastics are now found in our blood, lungs, guts, even our brains — about 5g on average per person. Scientists are only beginning to grasp what this means for health.
Researchers in Austria found that microplastics can alter gut bacteria and chemical signals linked to depression and cancer. “Reducing exposure where possible is wise,” said Dr Christian Pacher-Deutsch.
The particles, shed from packaging, clothes and tyres, are small enough to enter our organs. Studies in mice suggest they affect behaviour and brain health, while human research has found plastic in dementia patients’ brains and in arteries linked to heart attacks.
Experts urge caution. “We still don’t know how harmful they are,” said Prof Stephanie Wright of Imperial College London. “Different plastics behave differently inside the body.”
Even so, scientists are changing habits — avoiding heating food in plastic, switching to glass or steel, and choosing natural fabrics. “Minimising exposure is probably beneficial overall,” said Wright.
We can’t escape plastic completely, but we can limit it — one small step toward unwrapping our lives from it.
