Do commercial eye drops contain microplastics?

What's actually in it

Eye drops are packaged in small plastic bottles made from polyethylene or polypropylene. The manufacturing process, the bottle itself, and the dropper tip can introduce microscopic plastic particles into the liquid. Every squeeze of the bottle delivers liquid that has been in direct contact with plastic surfaces.

Eye tissue is highly permeable and lacks the protective barriers that skin provides. Particles that enter the eye can cross into ocular tissue and potentially into systemic circulation through the lacrimal drainage system (the duct that drains into the nose and throat).

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Sci Pollut Res Int tested commercial eyedrop products using microscopy and spectroscopy to identify microplastic particles. Multiple products tested positive for plastic particles including polyethylene and polypropylene fragments, with particle sizes ranging from visible specks to particles small enough to cross biological barriers.

The contamination appeared to come from the packaging and dispensing mechanism rather than the formulation itself. Products sold in single-use vials and those in multi-use bottles with plastic droppers both showed contamination.

Daily eye drop users, including contact lens wearers and people with dry eye syndrome who use drops multiple times per day, have the highest cumulative exposure through this route. Glass dropper bottles or preservative-free single-use glass ampoules where available reduce this exposure, though plastic-free eyedrop packaging options are currently limited.