Health research
Understanding how plastic harms human health
There is plenty of evidence that plastic poses a significant threat to human health. We urgently need to understand how.
We are exposed to plastics in every aspect of our lives, and it’s getting inside our bodies at an alarming rate.
We work with leading experts to research and understand the health impacts of plastics. We use our insights to motivate decision-makers to address these impacts, and the inequities they cause.
Are microplastics harmful to humans?
77%
of blood samples contained microplastic in our 2022 study.
4,000+
of the chemicals used to produce plastics are harmful to human health.
$10-100 billion
in predicted social costs of plastic-related harms to health.
"Just look around you. Your clothes, paints, toys, and packaging - it's all plastic! It breaks down through wear, enters our air, our food, our water. We are the most exposed, more than any other species...”
Sir Stephen Fry, Broadcaster
Everyone is impacted by the health risks of plastic exposure – especially frontline communities like Small Island Developing States.
In 2022, a Common Seas study found plastic in human blood for the first time. Since then, microplastics have been found in multiple bodily organs.
We work with the scientific community to conduct research into the effects of microplastics on humans and develop best practice techniques to support future research.
We publicise our insights through collaborative campaigns, to drive systemic change to protect human health from plastic-related harm.
By harnessing cutting-edge research, we can support policymakers, producers and others to act to protect our health, our communities and future generations.
Our projects
First detection of plastic in blood
Our 2022 study with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found microplastic in the blood of 77% of samples tested. These results raised the question: what impacts could plastic in our bodies have on our health?
Diaper waste as a pathogen vector
Our study with the Deltares Institute explores whether single-used diapers polluting the Brantas River could be a vector for the dispersal of human pathogens and the creation of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs).
Microplastics and thrombosis
Following the discovery of plastic in the blood, a novel study led by Imperial College London is exploring the potential implications of microplastics in blood clot (thrombosis) formation.
Microplastics and gut health
We are working with researchers at Imperial College London to ascertain whether ingested microplastics from food packaging are absorbed through the gut into the bloodstream.
Common Seas collaborates with partners to commission research into the impacts of plastic on human health.
References
- Royle et al (2021). Plastic Drawdown: A rapid assessment tool for developing national responses to plastic pollution when data availability is limited, as demonstrated in the Maldives. Global Environmental Change, 72, 102442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102442
- Monclús et al (2025). Mapping the chemical complexity of plastics, Nature 643, pages 349–355, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09184-8.
- Merkl et al (2022). The Price of Plastic Pollution: Social Costs and Corporate Liabilities, Minderoo Foundation, Retrieved from https://cdn.minderoo.org/content/uploads/2022/10/14130457/The-Price-of-Plastic-Pollution.pdf