“Microplastics have been associated with a range of health effects,” said Samantha McBride, a professor researching them at the University of Pennsylvania. “Everywhere we’ve looked, bloodstreams, semen, any type of bodily tissue, microplastics have been found.”
Some studies have linked microplastics to cancer, heart attacks, reproductive problems and other harms. But there’s nothing definitive. At the Penn lab, they’re refining detection methods.
Scientists said drinking liquids from plastic bottles or aluminum cans can be a significant source of exposure to microplastics. The better alternative is to drink tap water because it has the fewest amount of microplastics, according to McBride.