Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) can enter the body through drinking water, food, air, and dust. Once inside, studies show they can accumulate in organs and may contribute to various forms of biological harm.
Here’s what we need to worry about:
In 2017, an ORB media study analyzed tapwater samples from across the country and found that 94% of them contained microplastics. Since 8 years have now passed, it’s safe to assume the number is at 100%. That means if you are drinking water straight from your tap, you are getting exposed to microplastics.
Research is still in its infancy regarding exactly how much microplastic is in our water and how much is needed to impact our health severely. Still, early research has indicated the following health effects of microplastic exposure:
Microplastics have been shown to trigger chronic inflammation because your body responds to the foreign particles they contain. Inflammation is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune issues.
This foreign body inflammation response has been linked to cardiovascular effects, including an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Microplastics can form vascular plaque, affecting how blood flows through our blood vessels.
In 2024, a human study found that people with detectable microplastics in their arterial plaque had a significantly higher risk of mortality following cardiac procedures. So if you already have a heart condition, you should be concerned about microplastics.
Microplastics have also been shown to interfere with our hormones, causing disruption to the endocrine system. This can affect our reproductive system, decrease our fertility, impair the development of babies in the womb, disrupt our thyroids, and even lead to metabolic disorders.
Yet another human study showed that microplastics are also accumulating in our blood and placenta, and they have even been found in breastmilk! People who were tested showed a reduction in their sperm quality, altered their ovarian function, and created an inflammation in their placenta.
Microplastics also disrupt our gut microbiome. The documented effects include gut barrier disruption (also known as leaky gut), microbiome imbalance, gut inflammation, and altered nutrient absorption. It’s terrifying to think that microplastics can potentially block the absorption of essential nutrients from the food we eat!
Foreign bodies in our blood, like microplastics, have been linked to DNA damage, mitochondrial stress, and accelerated cellular aging. So, these microplastics could be making us older.
Some animal studies have shown that microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in our brain tissue! This can induce neuron inflammation and impair our learning and memory. This may be true for humans as well!
The bottom line is that microplastics are in your tap water, and early research has shown they pose a significant threat to our health. We should take measures to immediately remove microplastics from our water and other sources of microplastics from our lives as best we can.
