What is an At-home Microplastics Blood Test Kit? 

Imagine a tiny finger prick test that shows whether microplastics and nanoplastics, those invisible plastic shreds from everyday life, are floating in the human bloodstream.

That test now exists: it’s called PlasticTox blood test for microplastics, and it’s a research and development product by ArrowLab Solutions. To allow you to understand what your microplastic exposure levels in your blood are, it uses a method that is peer-reviewed, independently validated, and conducted in a CLIA/COLA-certified lab.

In a specially designed, plastic free, BSL-2 (Biosafety Level 2 ) lab in the Netherlands, scientists use a specialized and proprietary dye that stains plastic particles. Advanced imaging techniques, then, detect and count particles sized between 1–70 µm, revealing not just if, but how much, along with the size and likely types of plastics, allowing for an estimated particle concentration.

My kit arrived in eco-conscious packaging with clear instructions. All I had to do was prick my fingertip with a tiny lancet, place a few drops of blood on a card, let it dry, and send it back in the prepaid envelope at my local post office. That was it.

It was the first at-home testing I have ever done, and it felt a bit strange… like I was mailing a piece of myself to science. Most recently, I also participated in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program offered by the Australian Government, and I’m becoming more familiar with such screening tests. I think that they will become an integral part of our long-term health in the future.

Image Credit: I’m Plastic Free – Simona Paganetto showing all the components of the the PlastixTox Microplastic Blood Test Kit

Related: Plastic Free Water Filters: Can We Find Water Purifiers without Plastic?

What Types of Microplastics and Nanoplastics are Detected and Quantified in the Microplastics Test Kit? 

PlasticTox uses a collection kit to obtain a sample of dried human blood, tested by utilizing cutting-edge microscopy to detect any of the following microplastics and nanoplastics in your blood:

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• Polyamides (PA)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polyurethane (PU)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polystyrene (PS)

They also developed a world-first microplastic oral fluid test kit. This will show all detectable microplastic polymers present in your saliva. Each self collected sample is tested for each known polymer. Results include number of contaminants, sizes of detected plastic particles, and calculated concentration of plastic particles in your saliva.

Check out the PlasticTox at-home microplastics testing kits.

The Microplastic Blood Test Results

As I have been dealing with the health effects of plastic for a while now, I thought I was ready for anything. But as I waited for my results, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. After all, if microplastics are inside me, what does that mean for my long-term health?

Within a month, the results arrived via email in a PDF. The report broke down exactly how many particles were found, their size, and concentration. To me, it was confronting.

There were 41 microplastic particles in my blood droplets, and my results were pretty right in the middle, from a range that went between 0 on one end, and 96+ on the other:

• 29 particles were detected in the size category <10 µm
• 12 particles were detected in the size category 10-30 µm
•  0 particles were detected in the size category 30 -70 µm

The calculated concentration, based upon an assumed collection of a 100 µm sample, was 410 P/ml. Seeing the proof on paper (well, in digital form in this case), made something I’d talked about at least for the past seven years suddenly very real. Plastic isn’t just polluting the planet; it’s polluting me.

Related: The Hidden Ingredient in Salt. 3 Microplastic Free Salt Brands You Can Trust

What is the Meaning Behind the Results?

I read further to better understand the results:

1. The smallest particle sizes (<10 µm) are linked mainly to inhalation as the entry point. These are the most concerning, since they can bypass the body’s finest protective barriers, including the blood-brain barrier.
2. Medium-sized particles (10-30 µm) are too large to cross the blood-air barrier but can move through the blood-gut barrier, meaning they likely enter the body through ingestion, aka through food and drinks.
3. The largest particles (30 -70 µm) are considered too big to pass through either pathway. Current research suggests that they may enter the bloodstream directly, possibly through blood transfusions, intravenous medications, or due to issues with sample collection.

The results also made me aware that plastics in the body tend to accumulate over time, leading to a gradual buildup. They immediately raised tough questions:

• I haven’t used single-use plastics in the past ten years, apart from food packaging… So, where were these particles coming from?
• Could they be linked to food packaging, synthetic clothing, or even the water I drink?
• Or would they be related to the fact that my father was a chain smoker and I spent the first 19 years of my life (I’m 47 now) in the same house as a heavy passive smoker? Studies (4) confirm that cigarette smoke may be a previously underestimated source of respiratory microplastic exposure.
• Most importantly, what are they doing to my health in the long run?

I’m not a doctor, I’m not even a scientist, and even science doesn’t have all the answers yet. But knowing my own results gave me power. It motivated me to double down on choices I was already making: avoiding single-use plastic, filtering my water, swapping plastic for other materials, and choosing natural fibers whenever possible.

Related: Microplastics in Food. The Latest Research

What Steps Am I taking Next?

I didn’t do this test just for myself, I did it because I believe awareness leads to action. If more of us test, measure, and see the reality inside our own bodies, we can’t ignore the problem any longer. Plastic pollution isn’t “out there” anymore. It’s in us. Once you see the results, you’ll never look at plastic the same way again. For me it was already like this before taking the test, but now, I decided that I’ll do my best even further to help everyone who wants to reduce their exposure with the I’m Plastic Free platform, by offering a free checklist to my audience as a start.

Related: Free Microplastics Exposure Checklist

FAQ

Who Should Test Their Levels of Microplastics The Most?