Do microplastics contribute to prostate cancer risk?

Karl Hille, Baltimore Sun on Mar 3, 2026

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Prostate tumors contain more microplastics than healthy prostate tissue, researchers from New York University Langone Health found.

Tiny plastic particles were present in nine of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and appeared in greater amounts in the tumors than in nearby noncancerous tissue, they found.

“Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” lead study author Stacy Loeb, a professor in the NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Departments of Urology and Population Health, told SciTechDaily.

Loeb said that earlier studies hinted at links between microplastics and heart disease and dementia. However, little direct research had connected them to prostate cancer.

Plastic used in food containers, packaging and other products can breakdown into microscopic particles through regular use, according to the National Institutes of Health. These pieces can be eaten, inhaled and absorbed through the skin. Despite their presence in many human tissue samples, the effects of microplastics on human health remain poorly understood.

Loebs’ team recruited 10 cancer patients who had their prostate removed. They found microplastics in 90% of tumor samples, compared to 70% of noncancerous tissue.

Previous studies claimed to have revealed microplastics in tissue from human brains, testes, placentas and arteries. However, a group of researchers has pushed back on these findings because human fats can cause false positive results for microplastics in some of the analyses underpinning these papers.

Loeb used two separate tools to verify the presence of microplastics: a microscope analysis to assess microplastic abundance, size and other characteristics, and incinerating the tissue to measure the chemicals in the smoke.

Using Raman microscopy, they found plastic particles in 60% of patient samples, with individual particles measuring from 1 to 40 micrometers, with the largest barely visible to the human eye. Using pyrolysis and mass spectrometry, they found signs of plastics in 90% of patients, with higher concentrations in the cancerous tissues.

Loeb presented her work, supported by Department of Defense grants, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium on Feb. 26.

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