Microplastics Found in Human Bones May Accelerate Aging and Weaken Skeleton

Udumbara Udumbara
Dec 24, 2025 - 11:03 Updated: Dec 23, 2025 - 13:23
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Microplastics Found in Human Bones May Accelerate Aging and Weaken Skeleton

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The tiny plastic particles contaminating our air, water, and food have now been found deep inside human bones—and they’re a health concern, researchers warn in an analysis of 62 studies.

The review, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, found that microplastics and nanoplastics can go straight into our skeletons. Although there are no human studies indicating harm, risks of bone weakening and deformities have been shown in animal and cell studies. The findings come as the International Osteoporosis Foundation projects a 32 percent increase in osteoporosis-related fractures by 2050.

Health care efforts currently focus on reducing bone complications through exercise, diet, and medications, but the role of microplastics remains poorly understood.

“Although osteometabolic diseases are relatively well understood, there’s a gap in our knowledge regarding the influence of microplastics on the development of these diseases,” Rodrigo Bueno de Oliveira, the study’s lead author and coordinator of Brazil’s Laboratory for Mineral and Bone Studies in Nephrology, said in a statement.
Micro- and nanoplastics have been found in human bones. Cell studies show that these plastics can harm bone cells by making them age faster, changing how they develop, and causing inflammation. Microplastics can also affect the cells in bone marrow, which are important for making blood cells.

How Microplastics Reach and Damage Bones

Research has detected microplastics in human bone, cartilage, and spinal discs, with levels in bone averaging tens of particles per gram.

Plastic particles enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact.

Once inside, the smallest particles travel through the bloodstream and lodge in tissues throughout the body. The skeletal system’s dense network of blood vessels allows these circulating particles to reach areas where bone-building and bone-removal cells operate.

The review analyzed cell studies showing that bone stem cells can absorb microplastics, causing inflammation and changing cell activity. Microplastics drive bone marrow stem cells to produce more osteoclasts—the cells that break down bone tissue. Animal studies show that microplastic exposure leads to bone deformations and fractures.

“In this study, the adverse effects observed culminated, worryingly, in the interruption of the animals’ skeletal growth,” Oliveira stated.

Beyond Bones: Widespread Health Effects

Beyond our bones, microplastic particles—smaller than a grain of rice—have been found in various parts of the human body, including blood, saliva, liver, and kidneys. These particles have already been linked to intestinal injury, liver inflammation, and gut microbiome imbalance.

Research continues to shed light on the health concerns of microplastic pollution, with studies documenting microplastics in human blood, heart, placenta, breast milk, and brain.

Oliveira’s team is launching a new project to examine whether exposure to microplastics worsens metabolic bone diseases and potentially affects leg bone (femur) strength.

“One of our goals is to generate evidence suggesting that microplastics could be a potential controllable environmental cause to explain, for example, the increase in the projected number of bone fractures,” Oliveira said.

“While research on human health impacts is fairly new, it’s well documented that microplastic ingestion causes harm to mice, fish, and other biota,” Lisa Erdle, director of science and innovation at the 5 Gyres Institute, a research-based nongovernmental organization with 15 years of expertise studying microplastic pollution, and not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times. She added that the harms include behavioral and physiological changes, oxidative stress, and reduced growth.

“In humans, studies have shown similar impacts such as oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and microplastics have also been linked to endocrine disruption, cardiovascular disease, and dementia,” Erdle said. “More research is ongoing, but at this point, we already know enough to act.”

The scale of plastic contamination is staggering. The production and use of more than 400 million tons of plastic each year has polluted environments from beaches and rivers to ocean depths reaching nearly 36,000 feet below the surface.

What You Can Do

“The biggest way to limit our plastics exposure is to cut single-use plastics out of our lives,” Aminah Taariq-Sidibe, manager of End Plastics at EarthDay.org, told The Epoch Times.

Simple changes in everyday habits can make a real difference. Here’s what experts recommend:

At home:
  • Use water filtration systems that specifically target microplastics.
  • Choose glass or stainless-steel containers over plastic.
  • Avoid heating food in plastic containers.
  • Increase intake of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, to support natural detoxification pathways.
Broader changes:
  • Eliminate single-use plastics, especially bottled water. One study found nearly 240,000 nanoplastic particles per liter in bottled water.
  • Opt for tap water, which research suggests has lower concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics.
  • Choose natural-fiber clothing and textiles over synthetics.
  • Properly dispose of and recycle plastics to reduce environmental pollution.
Erdle warned that once microplastics are in the environment, they are nearly impossible to clean up. “The best way to mitigate the problem of microplastic pollution is at the source by replacing plastics with better alternatives.”
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