Washington – October 28, 2026 -- Microplastics turned up in the blood of 27 of 28 people tested in a new report, a 96% detection rate across participants in Canada and the United States.
The report, titled Microplastics in Me: Finding Plastics in Human Blood, comes from Plastic Pollution Coalition, Plastic People, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. It is the first to publicly identify a group of individuals who have microplastics in their bodies.
Participants were public figures from across North America
The 28 volunteers work in music, art, entertainment, media, politics, and public policy. They come from different age groups, backgrounds, and cities. Their blood was drawn over an eight-month window in 2025–2026.
Two labs analyzed the same samples in two different ways
The University of New Mexico used pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which measures relative concentrations of plastic polymers but cannot count individual particles. The University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa used flow cytometry, which counts particles and reports their size but does not identify polymer types.
Eight common plastics showed up in the blood
The polymers found were ABS, Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6, polyethylene, PET, polystyrene, PVC, and styrene-butadiene rubber. The report links them to everyday items such as beverage bottles, carpets, clothing fibers, tires, toys, flooring, and disposable foodware.
Concentrations ranged widely, from 1,890 to 197,000 micro and nano plastic particles per microliter of blood. On average, more than 90% of detected particles measured under 500 nanometers across. The report says particles this small are believed to enter the bloodstream, and the brain in particular, more rapidly.
Health effects are still under investigation
The report notes that research is mounting on possible links between plastic contamination and heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and reproductive problems including infertility. It calls for more research and regulatory attention.
Matthew Campen, PhD, of the University of New Mexico called for federal regulations to limit exposure. He noted that plastics take decades to degrade into the nanoplastics now visible in the human body. Dianna Cohen of Plastic Pollution Coalition urged stopping plastic pollution at its source, starting with production.
Participant Fran Drescher, actor and founder of Cancer Schmancer, said Nylon 6 was the plastic found in her blood. Her takeaway: "If I have microplastics in my blood, you can bet you do too."