Microplastics are extremely small plastic fragments, defined as measuring under 5 millimeters in size. They are usually invisible to the naked eye and can be inhaled or ingested.

Microplastics are divided into two main categories depending on where they are coming from.

Primary microplastics: are intentionally made for use in products like microbeads found in personal care items, or plastic pellets, also called nurdles, used in manufacturing, and are usually transported via sea in shipping containers.

Secondary microplastics: microplastics that can also form when larger plastic items break down over time, like fibers from synthetic clothing, tire wear particles, paint wear particles, plastic fragments etc. These particles are created through weathering, wear and tear, and other environmental degradation processes and are now widespread in our environment: they are present in the ocean, rivers, soil, and even in the air we breathe.

Nanoplastics are ultra-small plastic particles measuring between 1 and 1,000 nanometers in size. They are so small that they’re invisible to the naked eye. For comparison, an average human hair is roughly 80,000-100,000 nanometers wide. They are a sub-category of microplastics and they form when larger plastic materials break apart over time through environmental wear and tear.

Yes, there is. PlasticTox have developed a world-first microplastics blood test kit to be done at home. It’s a dry blood test that is ordered online, The blood sample is collected at home, then sent to the lab. Within 3 weeks the results are sent via e-mail. Find out more about PlasticTox.