IV Fluid Bags May Pose Hidden Microplastic Risk to Patients, Study Warns

By Adebowale Bello. B.Tech Microbiology, Freelance Health Writer. Medically reviewed by A. Odutola, MBBS, PhD.

Intravenous (I.v.) infusions pose hidden microplastics risk to patients. Click on image to enlarge. Credit.

In today’s world, plastics are everywhere. They wrap our food, hold our water and are used by millions daily. However, recent research has revealed that plastics may be entering the human bloodstream through intravenous (IV) infusions. These are not ordinary plastics; rather they are tiny pieces of plastics known as microplastics.

What are microplastics and why are their presence in the bloodstream concerning?

What Are Microplastics?

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny pieces of plastic with sizes ranging from one nanometre (nm) to 5,000 micrometre (µm) or 5 mm. That is, microplastics can be way smaller than a pinhead or as large as an eraser at the bottom of a pencil. They can come from the breakdown of larger plastics or be manufactured at that size for use in products like cosmetics and industrial abrasives.

For years, humans have been exposed to microplastics through food, water and air but this new study highlights a far more direct and disturbing route which is through IV infusions administered in hospitals and clinics.

This means that plastics of small sizes are being introduced straight into the bloodstream without passing through the body’s usual protective filters, such as the gut or lungs.

About the Study

The study focused on fluids used in hospitals, such as saline and other hydration solutions. These fluids are often stored in plastic bottles made from polypropylene, a common type of plastic. Even though these fluids are filtered and sterilsed before being used in patients, the researchers wanted to find out whether microplastics still managed to pass through and, if so, how many were making their way into patients’ bloodstreams.

To carry out the study, the research team tested six different bottles from two well-known brands, using advanced techniques such as Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to detect and identify microplastics in IV fluid samples. These methods allowed them to not only count the number of particles but also determine their size and chemical makeup, confirming they were made of polypropylene.

What the Study Found

The results were eye-opening. After testing the filtered fluids from IV bottles, the researchers found an average of 7,500 microplastic particles per litre. This is significant, especially when you consider how much fluid a hospital patient can receive in a single day.

The particles were mostly small, with sizes ranging from 1 to 62 micrometres (i.e., 0.001 to 0.062 millimetres). 90% of the microplastics were between 1 and 20 micrometres, while more than half were in the even smaller range of 1 to 10 micrometres. At these sizes, the microplastics in intravenous infusions cannot be seen with the ordinary eyes but with the aid of microscopes. 

To put this in perspective, a human hair strand is about 70 micrometres thick, which means that many of these plastic particles are small enough to enter and travel through the bloodstream, potentially reaching and lodging in vital organs like the liver, kidneys or even the brain.

The study further highlighted some real-life scenarios where patients could be exposed to large numbers of microplastics.

For example:

• A severely dehydrated person might need between 4.2 and 5.6 litres of IV fluid, introducing up to 42,000 microplastic particles into their body.

• During labour, a woman could receive up to 7380 particles through hydration infusions.

• A surgical patient might be given around 7 litres of fluid during an operation, adding up to a staggering 52,500 microplastic particles in a single day.

These figures are troubling because microplastics have been shown in other studies to trigger inflammation and cell damage even in living tissues. Moreover, while they can act as carriers of harmful chemicals, this study emphasises that their mere physical presence, due to their shape and size can be harmful in itself.

How Can Microplastics Affect Patient Outcomes?

While the long-term effects of microplastic exposure through IV fluids are still being studied, emerging evidence suggests these particles can cause:

• Inflammation: Microplastics can irritate blood vessels and tissues, causing inflammation.

• Organ Damage: These particles could lodge in organs such as the liver, kidneys and lungs, potentially damaging them over time.

• Blood Cell Interaction: They may interact with red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma proteins, disrupting normal body functions.

• Toxic leachates: Microplastics may carry harmful chemicals or additives, some of which are known to be toxic or cancer-causing.

For vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and immunocompromised patients, this exposure to microplastics could be even more dangerous.

Even more concerning is that microplastics could carry other dangerous substances, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (like bisphenol A), or bacteria that attach to their surfaces. This means they could be introducing multiple layers of risk into the body through one of the most trusted medical interventions.

What This Mean for Healthcare in Africa

In many African healthcare systems, IV therapy is not only common but essential. From rehydration in cases of diarrhoeal diseases to routine fluid administration during childbirth, surgeries or emergencies, IV fluids are a cornerstone of medical treatment.

However, most African countries rely heavily on both locally manufactured and imported IV fluids, often packaged in plastic bottles. In some cases, these bottles are reused inappropriately or stored in hot environments, both of which can worsen the leaching of microplastics.

Unfortunately, there is little awareness or capacity to test these fluids for microplastic contamination. Without local regulations or testing protocols to monitor microplastic contamination, patients could unknowingly be exposed to health risks.

As many African hospitals lack advanced filtering equipment or the capacity to replace plastic packaging with safer alternatives like glass, the threat of microplastic exposure is potentially higher in African countries, where options are limited and safety checks are not always rigorous.

What Role Can African Health Stakeholders Play?

To protect patients across Africa, African governments in partnership with the medical community and other health stakeholders must act decisively. Here are a few steps that should be considered:

1. Raise Awareness: Launch health worker training sessions about the risks of microplastic exposure, especially in maternity, medical, surgical and intensive care units. Most people are unaware that something as routine as an IV drip could come with hidden risks.

2. Review Supply Chains: Health authorities and procurement bodies need to examine where IV fluids are coming from, how they’re stored and whether they’re being tested for contaminants, such as microplastics.

3. Push for Policy Change: African regulatory agencies must establish clearer guidelines for the manufacture and importation of medical-grade plastics and investment in local laboratories that can test for microplastics. 

4. Switch to Safer Packaging: Manufacturers and suppliers should be encouraged to explore glass bottles or biocompatible materials that do not shed microplastics.

5. Fund Local Research: African scientists and universities should be supported to conduct similar studies and build region-specific data that can influence policy.

Wrap Up

Plastic has made life easier in many ways, including healthcare. But we’re now learning that it comes with a cost, one that may be silently affecting our health.

IV fluids are meant to heal, not to harm. Yet, as this study reveals, the very tools we use to save lives might be introducing invisible threats into our bodies. Microplastics may be small, but their impact could be monumental especially when injected directly into the bloodstream.

For Africa, where health systems are already strained, this study raises both a challenge and an opportunity. A challenge to confront a hidden risk in patient care, and an opportunity to innovate better, safer intravenous (IV) delivery systems.

Source: Huang, T, Liu, Y, Wang, L, Ruan, X, Ge, Q, Ma, M, Wang, W, You, W, Zhang, L, Valev, V. K, & Zhang, L. MPs entering human circulation through infusions: A significant pathway and health concern. Environment & Health, Article ASAP. Feb 14, 2025. Doi: 10.1021/envhealth.4c00210. Available from here.

Published: April 22, 2025

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