220+ Microplastics Found Inside Human Cancer Tumors

Researchers cut open human tumors and found them full of microplastics. Over 220 particles in cancer tissue alone.

Plastic Inside Cancer Tissue

A 2026 study in Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol analyzed breast, colon, and rectal cancer tissue from Algerian patients. Using organic digestion, density separation, and infrared spectroscopy, they identified over 220 microplastic particles in the tumor samples.

The average was 25 particles per gram of cancer tissue. Blood samples from the same patients contained 172 microplastics averaging 3 particles per gram.

PET and Polypropylene Dominated

PET (from water bottles, food packaging) and polypropylene (from food containers, caps, packaging) were the two most common polymers, found in 44% of analyzed samples. The particles ranged from 50 to 300 µm in size.

Accumulating Where Cancer Grows

The concentration of microplastics was 8 times higher in tumor tissue than in blood. Whether the plastics contribute to cancer or simply accumulate in tumors is still being studied. But finding them embedded in cancerous tissue is a red flag that demands more research.

What You Can Do

Reduce plastic food and water packaging. Don't microwave in plastic. Use glass and stainless steel. And explore non-toxic home essentials to cut microplastic exposure at the source.

Also see non-toxic kitchen essentials for safer alternatives.

Source: Hamimed et al. (2026). Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol.