Common questions about microplastics
Answers based on the current peer-reviewed evidence — including honest acknowledgement of what the science does and doesn't yet show.
Are microplastics dangerous?
The honest answer is: the research is concerning but causation in humans has not been fully established. What is confirmed is that microplastics are now found in human blood, lungs, brain tissue, arterial plaque, testicular tissue, and placenta. The most significant study to date — Marfella et al. (2024) in the New England Journal of Medicine — found that people with microplastics in their arterial plaque had a 4.5× higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over a mean 34-month follow-up. However, this was an observational study and cannot prove that microplastics directly caused these events. The scientific consensus is that presence is well-established, health effects are strongly suspected, and causation is still being investigated.
What the research shows on microplastic consumption →Can you remove microplastics from your body?
No proven method currently exists. The body's lymphatic system and immune cells can clear some particles over time, but microplastics have been found in tissues including the brain and lungs at concentrations that suggest significant accumulation. No supplement, treatment, sauna, or dietary protocol has been shown in peer-reviewed human trials to remove microplastics from body tissues. The most effective strategy is reducing ongoing intake, which slows accumulation rather than reversing it.
Science-based steps to reduce your exposure →What exactly are microplastics?
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres (5,000 microns). They originate from two sources: primary microplastics, which are manufactured at small sizes (such as microbeads in cosmetics or plastic pellets used in industrial processes), and secondary microplastics, which form when larger plastic items break down through UV exposure, weathering, and mechanical action. The smallest microplastics — below 1 micron — are sometimes called nanoplastics, which are studied separately due to their ability to cross cellular barriers more easily.
Are nanoplastics more dangerous than microplastics?
Potentially yes, for two reasons. First, smaller particles can cross cellular barriers — including the blood-brain barrier — more readily than larger ones. Second, the higher surface-area-to-volume ratio of nanoplastics means more potential for chemical interaction with biological tissues. However, nanoplastics are extremely difficult to detect and measure reliably, which means they are significantly understudied compared to microplastics. Our calculator counts microplastic particles only (≥1 micron) and explicitly excludes nanoplastics — meaning real-world exposure is likely considerably higher than the figures we show.
Does boiling water remove microplastics?
Yes — for hard tap water, quite effectively. A 2024 study by Yu et al. in Environmental Science & Technology Letters found that simply boiling hard tap water removed 80–90% of free-floating microplastics and nanoplastics (0.1–150 µm) by causing calcium carbonate to encapsulate and precipitate the particles. Even soft water boiling removed approximately 25%. This is one of the cheapest and most accessible interventions in the literature. Allowing the boiled water to cool and then pouring it carefully — leaving the sediment behind — maximises the effect.
Does a water filter remove microplastics?
It depends on the filter type. Reverse osmosis removes more than 99% of microplastics — the most effective technology available for home use. Activated carbon block filters can provide meaningful reduction, but performance varies significantly by quality; some lower-quality devices with plastic housings have been shown to increase microplastic counts rather than reduce them. Standard pitcher filters (Brita-style) are not reliably effective — their pore sizes allow most microplastics to pass straight through. Bottled water is not a solution — multiple studies have found it contains significantly more microplastics than filtered tap water, with contamination originating from the PET bottle and cap.
Does reverse osmosis remove microplastics? →Are some people more at risk than others?
Yes. Children have higher microplastic intake relative to body weight than adults, partly because of higher food and water consumption per kilogram of body weight and greater time spent on floors where microplastic fibres settle. People in urban and industrial areas are exposed to higher airborne microplastic concentrations. Heavy seafood consumers — particularly those who eat shellfish regularly — have meaningfully higher intake, as shellfish are consumed whole including their digestive tracts where microplastics accumulate. People who regularly microwave food in plastic containers have significantly elevated kitchen-based exposure.
How long have humans been consuming microplastics?
Since mass plastic production began in the 1950s, though concentrations have increased dramatically over time. Nihart et al. (2025) in Nature Medicine compared brain tissue samples collected at different time points and found microplastic concentrations had risen significantly in recent years — reflecting the rapid increase in global plastic production and the accumulating breakdown of plastics already in the environment. There is no meaningful baseline of 'zero' microplastic exposure for any living human.
What is the difference between microplastics and PFAS?
They are different things. Microplastics are physical particles — tiny fragments of plastic polymers. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, sometimes called 'forever chemicals') are chemical compounds used in non-stick coatings, waterproof fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foam. Both are pervasive environmental contaminants found in human tissue, and both are active areas of health research. PFAS are chemical pollutants that disrupt hormones and other biological processes; microplastics are physical particles that accumulate in organs. Some plastic items — particularly non-stick cookware — can be a source of both.
How does the Body Burden calculator work?
The calculator asks 12 questions about your daily habits across four categories: drinking water, kitchen and cooking, food and diet, and air and environment. Each answer option carries a risk score (0–10) based on the documented exposure level for that behaviour, derived from a specific peer-reviewed study. Each question is also weighted by its relative importance — high-impact sources like microwaving in plastic and plastic tea bags carry more weight than lower-impact ones. Your answers are combined into a normalised 0–100 risk score, which maps to an exposure tier (Low, Moderate, High, or Very High). Results also show a category breakdown so you can see which area of your habits drives most of your exposure. The full methodology and all source studies are documented on our methodology page.
Read the full methodology →Why doesn't the calculator include nanoplastics?
Because the measurement methods used across studies are inconsistent, making it impossible to reliably aggregate figures from different sources. Microplastics (≥1 micron) can be detected using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with reasonable consistency. Nanoplastics require different detection methods, and particle counts vary enormously depending on the technique used — making study-to-study comparisons unreliable. We would rather show you a conservative, defensible number than include figures that cannot be meaningfully compared. Research suggests nanoplastics may be present at 10 to 100 times higher concentrations than microplastics, so your true exposure is likely significantly higher than what we calculate.
Is tap water safe to drink in terms of microplastics?
Tap water contains microplastics, but typically at lower concentrations than bottled water. A 2018 Orb Media investigation found microplastics in 83% of global tap water samples. However, a 2018 study by Mason et al. in Frontiers in Chemistry found that bottled water averaged 325 microplastic particles per litre — significantly higher than filtered tap water in most markets. The most effective approach is to filter tap water rather than switch to bottled water. Boiling hard tap water removes 80–90% of free-floating microplastics (Yu et al., 2024). Reverse osmosis removes more than 99%. Standard tap water, while not microplastic-free, is generally a lower-exposure option than bottled water.
Best water filter for microplastics →What is the safest plastic for food and drink?
No plastic is entirely microplastic-free, but some release significantly fewer particles than others. Polypropylene (PP, recycling code 5) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE, code 2) are among the most stable at room temperature. The highest-risk scenarios are: polypropylene containers heated in a microwave (releasing millions of particles per use), scratched non-stick coatings (releasing both microplastics and PTFE particles), and worn plastic cutting boards. The safest approach for food contact is glass, stainless steel, or ceramic — particularly for hot food and liquids. If using plastic, avoid heating it and replace scratched or worn items.
How do microplastics get into the brain?
The most likely route is via the bloodstream. Microplastics have been detected in human blood (Leslie et al., 2022), confirming they can cross the gut lining and enter systemic circulation. From the blood, very small particles — particularly those in the nanoplastic range (below 1 micron) — are thought to cross the blood-brain barrier, a membrane that normally restricts what enters brain tissue. Larger microplastic particles may also reach the brain via the olfactory nerve (through nasal inhalation) or via macrophage transport. Nihart et al. (2025) in Nature Medicine found microplastics in 100% of human brain samples tested, at concentrations higher than those found in liver or kidney — suggesting the brain accumulates plastic particles preferentially, though the mechanism is not yet fully understood.
What do microplastics do to the human body? →Find out your personal exposure
12 questions · 2 minutes · peer-reviewed science