The Surprising Way Microplastics May Influence Inflammation & Allergies
Key takeaways
- Author: Ava Durgin June 27, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen.
- Over the past few years, scientists have discovered microplastics virtually everywhere they've looked: in oceans, soil, drinking water, blood, arteries, lungs, and even the brain.
- A new study1 published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology offers one possible clue.
Why this matters: practical guidance grounded in recent research or expert insight.
Author: Ava Durgin June 27, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She holds a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology from Duke University.Image by Connor Dwyer / Stocksy June 27, 2026Every year, the conversation around seasonal allergies sounds pretty much the same. People blame the pollen count. The weather. The unusually warm winter. Maybe climate change.
Over the past few years, scientists have discovered microplastics virtually everywhere they've looked: in oceans, soil, drinking water, blood, arteries, lungs, and even the brain. Finding them is no longer the surprising part. The bigger question now is what these particles are doing once they get there.
A new study1 published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology offers one possible clue. Researchers found that tiny PET microplastics, the type commonly shed from plastic bottles, food packaging, carpets, and synthetic clothing, were able to linger in the lungs and alter immune responses. When combined with ragweed pollen, one of the most common seasonal allergens, airway inflammation became even more pronounced.