Microplastics: Health

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has conducted research to understand if there are potential health risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. This was part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health.

The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The most recent statement was published in 2024 and is available at the following link:

https://cot.food.gov.uk/M-statementsandpositionpapers#microplastics

In 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research project to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. This project reviewed the emissions from microplastics, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. Earlier this year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the Option Appraisal for Intentionally Added Microplastics, which provides a welcome addition to our knowledge on the options to protect human health and the United Kingdom’s environment from the risks of microplastics. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the results of this study, which is available at the following link:

https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21802