Are Microplastics Harmful to Humans? – Does this man have the answer?

Posted on 23 Feb 2026

Microplastics in the human body are a well-established fact. They are claimed to be responsible for many health problems.

These include respiratory illnesses, lung fibrosis, heart disease, cancers, neurological problems, along with fertility problems. Indeed, dependant on the various ‘researchers’ microplastics are responsible for, or a contributory factor to every ailment known to mankind!

The Facts

1. We have been breathing in microplastics from car tyre dust for over 70 years.
2. We have been wrapping our food in plastics for over 70-years.
3. We have been storing blood in plastic sacs for over 70-years.

Indeed, our ability to store blood in plastic sacs was a revolution in medical science, enabling ‘blood banks’ to be developed (Google).

Blood transfusions delivered from plastic bottles down a plastic tube, directly into our blood stream. This is a procedure that has been ongoing for over 70 years.

It is not unreasonable to claim plastic packaging has reduced food waste by millions of tonnes, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions by billions of tonnes since its introduction. Meanwhile, over the same 70-year period, blood and plasma transfusions have contributed to saving millions of human lives. We can also be certain, beyond dispute that microplastics have been in our blood and organs for over 70 years. 

So, why have we currently got all this ‘research’ blaming microplastics for virtually every health problem known to mankind? These claims are particularly perverse as statistics show that since microplastics first entered our bodies, over the same 70-year period, worldwide, the average life expectancy has risen from 46 years to 72 years (Google).

So, what has changed?

Since the 1950’s and through the 1960’s, our ability to detect and measure particles and chemicals in the air and in our bodies has been revolutionised. In 1950’s, research relied on laboratory testing, with little ability to detect ultra trace contaminates. Filter paper capture, with manual results analysis of both solids and chemicals were notoriously unreliable, thus, large quantities of contaminates needed to be present to be detected. Today we can detect contaminates in parts per quadrillion. We have mass spectrometry biomonitoring which can detect thousands of chemicals in blood / urine so we can now detect not only microplastics in the air and the human body, but also other contaminants like lead, mercury, calcium, arsenic, PCB’s, DDT’s, dioxins, and more.

The question must be, in order to diagnose microplastics as the cause of any adverse effect on human health, how do we isolate them from all the other substances in our bodies? If we can do this, we can determine if microplastics are really harmful to humans. particularly as the level of microplastics contamination in our bodies is calculated to be as little as 0.03% of all contaminates.  

The Next Step

The Worldwide Health Organisation (WHO), amongst others, have carried out research into microplastics in 2019, 2020, and 2024. On each occasion, they have concluded ‘ingestion and inhalation of microplastics do not pose a health hazard to humans’, but further research is required!!

This further research can never be conclusive unless it could isolate microplastics from all the other contaminates in our bodies, however, if we consider some of the most common industrial diseases:

Miners – Pneumoconiosis (black lung)

Quarry workers – Silicosis

Asbestos workers – Asbestosis

Painters – Lead poisoning

Similarly, to the link between tobacco and smoking, these diseases were not discovered by research, but primarily due to the preponderance of workers (smokers) who contracted these diseases being far in excess of the general population (statistical analysis). 

Could Tony (and his fellow workers) provide the answer?

Tony works a machine slitting plastic film. He has done so for 38 years, during which time he has slit over 2,200 tonnes of plastic film. Within the team, we also have Simon (28 years), Zed (20 years) and an average length of service of over 10 years. He, along with his fellow workers operate in an environment where thousands of tonnes of film are slit, perforated, punched and re-slit every year.

Experts / researchers may well tell us that, as part of the National Flexible production team, their exposure to microplastics far exceeds that of the public and there are hundreds more (if not thousands) working in similar saturated particle conditions all over the UK.

Interestingly, our employee records show no signs of regular absenteeism, nor do we detect any recurring illness, nevertheless, there is an opportunity here for genuine ‘research’ into our team. The researchers should leave their laboratories and instead of experiments, which load mice, rats and guinea pigs with microplastics, undertake some human testing in the workplace? National Flexible would be prepared to contribute towards their costs, so would some of our competitors.

Comprehensive testing of microplastics in the working area, allied to statistical analysis is what is required. But, if the result is to at least bring all elements of sanity to the current assertions that microplastics are responsible for virtually every illness known to man, the investment would be worthwhile.

As ever, I welcome your view on any of the items considered and you are welcome to join me on LinkedIn for more regular updates.

Twigg Times 

#DontHatePlastic