Can microplastics from food and water accumulate in your blood and cause cancer-related changes?

What's actually in it

Every day, you swallow and inhale microplastics from water bottles, food containers, synthetic clothing, and household dust. The tiniest particles pass through your gut and lung barriers into your bloodstream, where they circulate throughout your body. Recent studies have confirmed that microplastics are present in human blood at detectable levels.

The two most common types found in blood are PET (from water bottles and food packaging) and polypropylene (from food containers and bottle caps).

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Int measured PET and polypropylene microplastic concentrations in human blood and investigated their carcinogenic potential. The findings go beyond just detecting plastic in blood. They show the plastics are biologically active.

Blood samples with higher microplastic levels showed increased expression of oncogenes (genes that promote cancer growth) and inflammatory markers. The microplastics also triggered oxidative DNA damage in blood cells, a key early step in cancer development.

PET particles were especially active. They released chemical additives like antimony and phthalates once in the bloodstream, adding chemical toxicity on top of the physical particle effects.

The study couldn't prove that blood microplastics directly cause cancer, but the biological changes they trigger are the same ones seen in early cancer formation. Reducing your plastic intake by using glass or stainless steel for food and drinks is a practical way to limit how much plastic ends up in your blood.