--- title: "Whoever Figures Out How to Remove Microplastics From the Human Body Is Going to Make a Fortune" description: "It's becoming ever more evident that once someone figures out how to remove microplastics from our bodies, they're going to make a killing." date: "2024-05-24" modified: "2024-05-24" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/future-microplastics-removal-make-bank" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "blood" - "microplastics" - "pfas" - "phthlatates" --- # Whoever Figures Out How to Remove Microplastics From the Human Body Is Going to Make a Fortune ![It's becoming ever more evident that once someone figures out how to remove microplastics from our bodies, they're going to make a killing.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* With two studies dropping just this week about the dangers of microplastics in the body, it's becoming ever more evident that if someone figures out how to remove them, they're going to make a killing. A headline-grabbing study about [microplastics being found in every human testicle]() the scientists examined was followed up by a less salacious one from China and Italy. In that paper, [published in *The Lancet*](), doctors described finding these minuscule pieces of harmful plastics in blood clots in hearts, brains, and legs, suggesting that not only are these particulates uber-prevalent but also that they may be really bad for us. While more and more studies have reported finding microplastics basically everywhere scientists have looked [within human bodies]() — not to mention [the ocean](), [the air](), and [even in ancient ruins]() — there's been less research aiming to determine how [they might affect our bodies](). The two studies released this week, however, point to some clues: when found in testicles, microplastics may contribute to lowered sperm counts, and their presence in clots suggests they may be contributing to that coagulation. Thus far, scientists haven't figured out any high-tech or pharmaceutical ways to remove microplastics from the body, though researchers did report in a [study published earlier this year]() that boiling hard water can help microplastics clump together with mineral deposits and be filtered out of drinking water. Interestingly, a [small 2022 study from Australia]() did find that donating blood or plasma seems to reduce the level of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS or "forever chemicals," from the bodies of firefighters who were exposed to them. The logic from that study, which doesn't seem to have been replicated or expanded on yet, could potentially be applied to microplastics, which [contain PFAS]() among other chemicals. Given that we keep ingesting them in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, however, it's hard to say whether that would be an effective method of getting rid of them. But most likely, if there is a way to flush microplastics out of the body, it'll require a new breakthrough. And whoever does? We reckon they're gonna make bank. **More on next-generation treatments:** [*Online Pharmacy Launches Cheaper Version of Ozempic*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()