I Tested My Blood for Microplastics. The Results Weren’t What I Expected.
May 30, 2025 at 12:31AMRecently, I’ve read a lot about how microplastics can get into your blood and your brain. All of it scares me. Like Elyse Hauser, I’ve been worrying about the plastic around me. I’m trying to ditch my Tupperware for glass and eliminate using freezer bags. Is that enough? Will it ever be enough in this plastic-infused world? For Slate, Hauser attempts to get some baseline data on her body by measuring the microplastics present in her blood with a $150 kit she bought online.
Having microplastics in the human body does not sound good. To better understand why this isn’t good, I called up Heather Leslie. She’s a scientist who does consulting on environmental and health issues, and she’s an expert on blood-borne plastic specifically. In 2022 she led the research team that found microplastics in human blood for the first time. Microplastics were first observed in humans in 2018, when researchers at the Medical University of Vienna detected them in the digestive system. After that study came out, Leslie felt it was important to check the bloodstream. Finding plastic circulating there proved that it was actually absorbed by our bodies, rather than something that simply passed through us. Since then, microplastics have shot into our collective health consciousness—and knowing that we can absorb them has motivated some, myself included, to cut down on plastic use. I’ve filled my kitchen with Pyrex instead of Tupperware. I quit reusing Ziploc bags. I check clothing labels, looking for natural fibers.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2025/05/29/i-tested-my-blood-for-microplastics-the-results-werent-what-i-expected/
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